Uke's Are Their Own Kind Of Trouble
by sweet-and-simple
Summary: Life becomes... complicated... after Lady Tsunade decides having pregnant men run about would be a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, the semes are not so certain, no matter how much their ukes agree. ShinoKiba ShikaChou SasuNaru KakaIru GaaLee Nejiten
1. Seme's Are Away, Uke's, Let's play!

(Kiba P.O.V.)

I was laughing my ass off. Yeah, Naruto and Bushy Brows were going at it again. They were trying to beat each other at Guitar hero. The horrible ranging sound going through out the whole house was worth seeing those two challenge each other. It was just hilarious. How often did something make Chouji laugh so hard, he let go of his chips? Yeah, I am the master of parties.

I invited Bushy Brows, Naruto, and Chouji over to my place so that we could hang loose. We were supposed to meet up at a bar, but I didn't want to leave Akamaru behind. Where I go, my buddy goes; simple as that and anyone that begs to differ can kiss my ass and bark at the moon. I'm not allowed to be drinking anyway. Instead, we gathered up here. Chouji brought most of the food (he'll eat most of it), Naruto brought some movies, and Bushy Brows brought more food (he can actually cook good grub).

We haven't gotten to the movies. Moment Naruto saw the play station, he had to play (and be player one)even though he didn't know how and he had to drag Bushy Brows into it. I'm not complaining about it, though; oh no, the show Chouji and I are getting right now is better than any comedy I have ever heard of, much less seen.

I sighed, my grin slipping for a moment and my hand splaying across my stomach. Chouji had gotten hold of the chips again and was chowing down with an almost thoughtful expression on his face. He looked kind of sad to me. I didn't bother to ask why, though. The answer is obvious when Chouji is walking past you and it's not because he's following everyone's favorite pineapple head.

Sasuke, having had his ass kicked back into Konoha a few years back by Naruto, was away on a mission that stretched two weeks and was undercover. The first S-rank mission he had to leave the village to complete ever since his return. With him, he had taken Shikamaru and Shino. They were to meet the Kazekage in Suna, and that was all anyone knew about it. That had been one week, 4 days and...15 minutes from this very moment, seeing as it was 12:15 at night. Not that I'm countin' or anything...

I'm seriously not countin'. I'm just horny for my buggy boy. Damn, do you know what that boy can do with all those bugs? It was creepy at first, but being held down and knowing ya can't escape is a major turn on when the guy you can't escape from is your hubby.

we aren't married yet, but it's in the cards. Since we're both heirs, we were kicked out. It didn't last long in my family (it's a pack thing, can't stay mad for long) now I'm just not allowed to lead. In Shino's family, I know they're not taking him back (those stuck up bastards) but they let him keep the kakaichu. I didn't know that when you're disowned from the Abraume clan that they take back the bugs too. No wonder Shino didn't want to come out. But yeah, Daddy cares more than he lets on and the bugs stayed where they were. Thank God.

"Ha, Bushy Brows I'm beating you! I, Naruto Uzumaki, the next hokage, am whooping your ass!"

Bushy Brows was in Konoha because of some joint mission that went successful and Lady Tsunade ordered him to 'lay down and take a break, freak'. Bushy Brows was an envoy between Suna and Konoha and the Kazekage guy was very... watchful (cough, chough-possessive-cough) of his green-clad go-in-between. I don't think I wanna know why, though I've heard some rumors. I try really hard not to smell it too.

"Yosh, Naruto-kun. Your flame of youth indeed burns at its fullest!"

Bushy Brows made a sudden jam on his guitar that put him a few points ahead of Naruto.

"But my fire burns even brighter and I shall defeat you in the springtime of youth!"

Chouji and I snickered as Naruto got a look in his eyes. This was going to be so good. I think I have a video cam in my room...

*Time Skip- 5:00 am-Time Skip*

(Rock Lee P.O.V.)

Out of my three youthful friends (and one very fiery willed dog), Naruto-kun was the only one drunk. I do not know why both Kiba-kun and Chouji-kun refused alcohol. They had refused me any on the basis that it tastes terrible. I do not wish to test their sincerity. They persuaded me that it is much like my medicine, and I do not wish to have any. Many things I can stand by the power of youth! My medicine is another thing...

At one point or another, Naruto-kun began to sing in a slurred, rasping voice and I believed to encourage his moment of overbearing emotions! So I joined in on the song and Kiba-kun laughed (rather rudely) before humming beneath his breathe, as if hoping we would not figure out that he was singing as well. I do not know why he would take shame in knowing this song. It is a youthful number filled with the love and gratefulness of one person to another! Chouji-kun began tapping out a rhythm to our combined attempts and my pride in my friends grew.

(Celine Dion-Because you loved me)

For all those times you stood by me

For all the truth that you made me see

For all the joy you brought to my life

For all the wrong that you made right

For every dream you made come true

For all the love I found in you

Ill be forever thankful baby

You're the one who held me up

Never let me fall

You're the one who saw me through it all

Gaara had almost said something quite like this first verse of the song, only in a less romantic and much more straight forward and almost painful way. Anything else and I would believe it to be an imposter in place of the man I had fallen in love with. Gaara was what he was and that is what made him my special person!

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith coz you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

This reminded me of what I felt for Gaara. I was believed powerless in a world of power. Yet, Gaara had never made me feel lacking. He had always helped me to reach every one of my goals and would defend me where I could not (even when I wished he would not). I could only hope I did the same for Gaara.

There were times when I could feel him watching me while I am not looking. It is as if he has a fixed fascination of me and I do not understand. He could have anyone! Power, beauty, and a heart filled with undiscovered gold of his denied youth should have anyone man or woman clawing at his feet. I hear people in the streets of Suna and Konoha and they do not understand why I am with Gaara after the time he almost crippled me.

They do not Understand! I could never hate him for that fateful match. It was a battle of strength against wit, and I still feel excitement dance upon my spine every time I spar with him. He gave me something without worth during that match: Respect. Not once during recovery did I ever accuse him of treachery.

I wish that they could explain to me why Gaara chose me out of the endless sea of people willing to share his bed. Only my closest friends seem to have ideas, but none of them fit what Gaara looks for in a person. To find what one thinks of you, you must go and ask them. That is exactly what I did.

I had been strong enough to be the first to touch him. For that, he tells me that he respects me. He sees my wish to prove myself in the eyes of others. This confuses him and so I fascinate him. I have forgiven him for a heinous crime, and have also gifted him my trust; he claims that that intrudes him. He does not understand why I do not fear him. I do not understand why he believes I should fear him. I know with absolute certainty that he shall never again strike me with deadly force.

You gave me wings and made me fly

You touched my hand I could touch the sky

I lost my faith, you gave it back to me

You said no star was out of reach

You stood by me and I stood tall

I had your love I had it all

I'm grateful for each day you gave me

Maybe I don't know that much

But I know this much is true

I was blessed because I was loved by you

The context of the words are meaningless, but the meaning behind those words is suspiciously like a conversation I had had with Gaara after I had confessed my feeling to him. It is truly amazing how Sabaku no Gaara (A.K.A. Gaara of the sands, past jinchuuraki, once Shukaku container, Kazekage, etc...) is so easily startled.

Gaara is very easily shocked with most of the things I do, including the things I allow him to do to me (No, I am NOT blushing! That is merely the color of my youth showing itself!). Sometimes, I feel as if he is testing just how far I will allow him to go. He will stare at me with a focused gaze and questions in his jaded eyes, always as if he were waiting. Moments such as those, I would reach out and touch the only scar adorning his body and that seems to relax him and allow him to carry on with what ever...tasks... he was doing (Not a blush, the color of my youth, I swear or I shall run 500 laps around Konoha backwards!... 'sigh' I shall begin in the morning after this joyous meeting is at its' end). I wish I can show him that he is my special person and that I am not made of glass.

I continue singing to Kiba-kun's humming with Naruto-kun's high pitched, slurred voice. It sounded horrible, especially since I was not a good singer myself (I had once tried to serenade Gaara, but Temari-kun threatened me to never do so again and I respected her wishes-with quiet shame and apologies to Gai-Sensei-out of fear), but I felt proud of our joint attempts and Chouji-kun's upbeat tempo.

(Naruto P.O.V.)

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith coz you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

'I don't even know how I know this song.' It was a fuzzy thought in my head and I couldn't really focus on it. It was a really girly song too. I wanna know how dog breathe knew it, he's humming to it, so he's got to know it. I'll ask later when the ceiling ain't dancing. Chouji was a doing a beat and I didn't even know this song needed a beat. Bushy Brows is bringing it all together.

You were always there for me

The tender wind that carried me

A light in the dark shining your love into my life

You've been my inspiration

Through the lies you were the truth

My world is a better place because of you

I remember dragging teme's ass back home. It was strange, the whole time I was whooping his ass to come back with me that last time, he didn't fight it. He just said that 'I'm ready' and 'this time, I will not fail'. Huh, course he was ready! I already knew the weasel guy was dead and Orochimaru is losing big time. He did what he said he would do and he didn't need the snake guy to make him stronger.

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith coz you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

The night Sasuke-teme told me what he meant when he said 'I'm ready'. It wasn't 'I'm ready to come home, dobe.' It was 'I'm ready to start over with you, dobe.' I remember freaking out 'cause I thought that only boobs could get me going and Sasuke-teme had none of those. Then he locked me in his mansion and I still don't forgive him. Damn sexy, perverted teme.

The village finding out was painful. It was like I let Kyuubi out on them, they were so angry with me. Yeah, my friends were by my side for the whole thing and Lady Tsunade sent out a few threats to keep the peace. But it still hurt. I never give up though, and this relationship was what I wanted too! So I saw it through and had tried to not let Sasuke-teme see how hurt I was. He found out anyway.

The next day, nobody tried to attack me. That was strange, then I saw the looks. They were afraid of me? That was almost worse than them hating me! I didn't want them to be afraid. What kind of Hokage would I be if my own village feared me? Then I found out, they weren't afraid of me. They were afraid of what would happen if they hurt me. I had really wanted to be angry with Sasuke-teme when I found this out. But it hadn't stuck. Sasuke-teme loved me, and that was the best way another could ever prove it.

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith coz you believed

Im everything I am Because you loved me

(Chouji P.O.V.)

I wish I knew how everyone knew this song except me. I'm not all that surprised that Bushy Brows knows it, but Naruto and Kiba do? That's just strange. I didn't want to be left out, so I tapped out a beat and it wasn't all that bad, I guess. Then my mind turned numbly to the depressing thoughts at hand.

I miss Shikamaru. We've had missions apart that stretched even longer than this, but I really needed to talk to him. There was a reason I haven't gone on missions for the past two months. I was a genie pig in some research that Lady Tsunade was doing. I don't know what made her decide that she was going to try and reverse the reproduction system so that guys could have babies, but she did. I'm having a C-section around eight months from now.

Shikamaru doesn't know yet (contrary to belief, I can keep secrets from him) and that's why I need to talk to him. He has no idea why I go over to Lady Tsunda's. I think only the guinea pigs: Myself, Iruka (Kakashi's in for a surprise), Kiba (I guess it's puppy instinct to reproduce) know about the experiment. Kiba conceived four weeks before me. Shikamaru and Shino have no clue.

Shikamaru and I haven't been 'just friends' since we were chuunin, right after my recovery from the Sasuke retrieval mission. We've been more than just boyfriends since we were fifteen. Shikamaru and I are friends, boyfriends, and lovers. Companions, cloud watchers, and each other's mind reader. We've been told that we seem to have a conversation without even talking to each other, but that's just how well we know one another. There's no point in talking if you already know what they're going to say.

Im everything I am

Because you loved me

*Time Skip-6:30 am- Time Skip*

(Sasuke P.O.V.)

We spread through out the room. Each of us are searching for our individual prey that are to be found within this apartment. A chorus of snores came from the pull out couch. I could see a pair of green clad legs thrown over the edge of it. A tan hand was buried in the head fur of the dog, Akamaru, closer to the top of the couch. I could see a wild mane of hair against the wall facing the couch and could see the large bulk that classified the being as 'Chouji'.

My three comrades moved forward towards the couch. The heavily foliaged one, Shino, reached over the edge first to pick the dog-nin up and carry him down the hall. He turned slightly to nod his head at us in farewell. Myself and Shikamaru returned the gesture. The kazekage ignored it and made his way down to the guy hanging off the couch.

Seeing as how Lee was still fully dressed, it was most possible that he was also wearing his full set of weights. I watch as the sand twists the cork out of its container and curl around Lee. Gaara makes a few hand signs and was gone. I remember dobe telling me about their relationship and thinking it was just gossip. Who cares if the red head improved? He still tried to kill Lee twice. Naruto has a way of proving me wrong sometimes and it makes me wonder if he's smarter than he acts.

I connect eyes with Shikamaru. Wouldn't he have to be the third green beast of Konoha to pick up something that heavy? I never say that out loud, though. Naruto would make me sleep in one of the guest rooms and I was too used to his heat already. I do not know how he does it, possibly chakra, but Shikamaru lifts Chouji over the edge of the pull out couch and walks out the door as if he were the shadows he played with: No sound, yet again. I wonder why he doesn't jutsu himself home? It's none of my business, so I continue my visual search for my own target.

My gaze focuses on the armchair pushed into a corner by the pull out couch. My blonde idiot is resting on it. His face is illuminated by the TV. I walk over and pick him up. Holding him high to my chest, I thank him for my second chance. Does he think I don't know about the argument he had with Lady Tsunade about lightening my punishment? I also thank him, as I make the hand symbols to poof out of here, for giving me his heart. As I leave there and appear home, I thank him for surviving the village's ignorance. Because my heart is not so cold when I'm with him.

(Shino P.O.V.)

I change my lover into his pajama bottoms. He continues to snore, unaware of the three other people who had entered our residence with me. He would catch their scent in the morning and ask what happened and I will tell him the truth.

We had completed the mission early by nearly three days. It went successful, though I can share no other details. The Kazekage returned with us, I believe it was to collect Rock Lee.

Returning home to our apartment, I had not expected all four of our companions spread through out my and Kiba's living room. I had sent out three scouts to direct my teammates to their significant others. We entered through the door together. I left the others to take their lovers while I took mine back to our bedroom.

My fingers trace across the skin of his abdomen. I have noticed the slightest of changes occurring within this body and my kikaichu have confirmed it. Something was growing within Kiba. My first assessment was that it was something dangerous to the dog-nin's health, obviously. My second assessment lead me to the Hokage's office for a debrief of what she was doing to my lover. Kiba has neglected to tell me that he is part of a male reproduction experiment as well as Chouji-san and Iruka-san.

Within several months, Kiba and I shall have our first child. If everything runs smoothly. I have been planning ways to make sure that the pregnancy is successful. Failure is not an option in this case. Lady Tsunade made this very clear.

Stripping to my underwear, I slip under the covers with the unconscious man that I happen to love. As strange as it is and as different as we are from each other, I would not trade this puppy for any inheritance my father offers me. He shall never make me let go of my teammate, companion, and lover.

(Shikamaru P.O.V.)

Chouji thinks I don't know about the pregnancy.

Tsch, how troublesome. I've known him to long for him to keep secrets from me. Even if I hadn't seen the folder stating the experiment and his info clipped in with it, I would have pieced it together soon enough. Chouji not having any missions, long amounts of time spent at the hospital, a larger intake of food (Yeah, I can tell when he eats more than usual).

I'm positive that we've conceived by now just by his body language: A softer edge to his face stating lost tension, a hand folded softly over his stomach as if to protect something, eyebrows drew away from each other as they usually are when something awesome has happened... Chouji and I have been together for a very long time. There's nothing we don't know about each other.

Removing the armor is not as difficult as it seems. I've done it often enough. After all, Chouji didn't go into a reproduction experiment chaste. Neither of us have been a virgin for five years. I've had practice with the rust-colored plates and the clothes that are worn beneath it.

I lay him down in our bed. We live in an apartment halfway between the Nara deer park and the Akamichi complex. Our families accepted that this would happen. My dad saw it coming long before I did, possibly the first time I took Chouji into the Nara woods. It was also where our first time was.

I don't know when Chouji's dad found out. What I do know was that he wasn't nearly as shocked as he should have been when we came out to both of them. The big man had smiled and said 'so, you finally figured it out, Shikamaru?', and my dad had been more than happy to add in a few digs as well.

Chouji was blushing red the whole time, and I thought it too tiresome to wait till we got home to lean over and kiss him. I also didn't bother to leave the Akamichi complex, where we had made our announcement, to go home and do what I wanted to my butterfly.

There's a large chance that the look Chouza got on his face was killing rage. He still hasn't forgiven me for what I did with Chouji in his old room. Even after three years, he still looks at me like I molested his son in front of him, which is true.

I lay down beside the now naked Akamichi, and close my eyes. Tsch, how troublesome. How long does he think he can hold secrets from me?

*Time Skip- 9:00 am- Time Skip*

(Gaara P.O.V.)

I study our surroundings carefully. To our left, there's a bird persistent on singing. I am coming close to assisting it to the ground and keeping it there for the cats to find.

Lee has yet to wake up. By five am, he is usually active, yet he has yet to even stir out of his deep sleep. I had stripped him of his clothes, including weights, two and a half hours ago. I should not be able to keep him still at this point of day, yet he continues to rest.

What happened the night before to tire Lee? Did he consume any alcohol? I did not see any damaged property, and the few empty bottles I saw were spread in the direction of where Naruto was sleeping. None of them seemed to have come from the direction of the couch where Lee had fallen upon.

I had returned with the Konoha team to reclaim the leaf envoy. Lady Tsunade was not to have kept Lee here. If Lee needed rest, he could have taken his time off in Suna. He is due for a long vacation as it is. Does he not wish to return to Suna?

My eyes narrow at the thought as I continue to stare down at this genius of hard work. The map of scars are spread upon his entire body. How his face remains unmarked is a mystery. I allow one hand to reach out and trace the open mouth that was emitting silent snores.

The bird continues to call outside the window of the rooms reserved for the Kazekage and family.

I hunger for him, and I do not know why. I have never felt the need to be sexually active. Was it because he was the first to ever reach past my ultimate defense? Or was it about those moments where my chest would catch fire? Those moments where Lee is beneath and crying out for more even as he screams for mercy. Or those moments when all he does is smile. This smile is not blinding as he does with his beloved sensei, but a gentler one, meant only for me.

I can only watch and silently guard Naruto in his relationship with the traitor. With Lee, I allow myself entry between him and potential danger just as often as he does for me. We quarrel over this, over the right of who protects who.

As Kazekage, you would think you would know who would win this argument. Lee did not catch on. He believes, that as a jonin, it is his duty (he calls it a privilege) to throw his life away so that I may continue on.

As Kazekage, I should win any argument I enter, but Lee refuses to make such a thing easy on me. I cannot believe that he and Naruto never listen to me. It is as if they have an agreement that they refuse to tell me of. Why does Lee continue to believe that the only way he can show his care is to die?

I can't let him die, not ever. I need him to much. He is so deep within my heart, that I cannot even say love to him. Our relationship seems so much more than those three small words. How do they convey what I truly feel? They do not, not where I am concerned.

He shall not die, he will come back to me after every mission, or I will kill him myself. I would rather kill him myself. Take him in with my sand and hold him there till the day I depart this world, rather that then allow some incompetent to end his life where I may not be able to find his body.

My hands find and trace a reddish bruise on the chest of this magnificent specimen. I made this mark, before he even left on the mission. He allowed me to make many marks such as this across his entire body. They are truly a beautiful sight. They bring across the message of who this man belongs too. This is my Lee, and I will bring hell down on those who try and take him from me.


	2. Desert Rain Is Truly Precious

(Lee P.O.V.)

My stomach is swollen with our child. It is a miracle and a true commitment! I, Rock Lee (The Second Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha!), am going to have Sabaku no Gaara's child. It is due within the next five months.

Lady Tsunade had caught me on my way back to Suna. She had plans of enrolling me into a top secret experiment (it is no longer top secret, Lady Tsunade had to eventually explain why there were pregnant men within the village) and asked for my permission. Once she had stated what the experiment was, I was delighted to become apart of it! Later, I found out that Kiba-kun, Chouji-kun, and Iruka-kun had signed up as well.

Permission from Gaara was slightly more difficult. I was more than happy to know that I could help accomplish carrying on the Sabaku name and possibly give birth to the next Kazekage! Gaara was focused only on the warning Lady Tsunade had departed us with. I could die if complications arose.

There were days in which we would quarrel about how I may die from this 'foolish nonsense' and of what I should not even try to do under any circumstances (courtesy of the Kazekage, himself. 'sigh', does he hold no faith in the strength of my youth?) But, finally, he had agreed. I was to follow a strict regimen. This included 'groan' no training or exersize. Walking was acceptable, nothing more and no weight lifting either. No one had told me that until after I had gotten Gaara to agree to the program.

It is no problem though! If I could go back seven months to when we had accepted this, I would not change a thing. Shikamaru-kun and Chouji-kun have already had their first child. His name is Jun-kun and he is a lovely little boy. He nearly resembles Chouji-kun completely, minus the large appetite. Even his moods reflect his birthing father. Shikamaru-kun seems quite happy with this though; I have seen him stare into the crib for hours as if he were watching his beloved clouds instead of a sleeping miracle.

Shino-kun and Kiba-kun had also successfully had their first child: a girl named Amaya-kun. So far, she is half and half. Shino's pale skin and remarkable eyes (Which I had no idea Shino's eyes were green until Amaya-kun first opened them and Shino-kun said 'she has Aubrame eyes'). But, her hair and openness are indeed from her birthing father, Kiba-kun. There are moments where she is as silent as her pale father, but those moments are not often.

What had happened with Kakashi-kun and Iruka-kun is what frightened me. It was truly a disaster that I would wish upon no one, especially everyone's beloved sensei and the copy-cat nin. They had managed to conceive, but the child aborted itself within the first three months and Iruka-kun nearly lost his life as well. Neither of them are willing to try again. I hear that they plan to adopt once Iruka-kun can accept it and Kakashi-kun is sure that they can both handle it.

I believe it is what happened with Iruka-kun that keeps me locked in my room. I could easily break out if I wished it... and if the Hokage and Kazekage had not ordered me to stay put. My pregnancy has turned rocky, and the only other time I had ever felt so frightened and beaten was when Lady Tsunade had told me about the surgery and the chances that I may die. I have been ordered to bed-rest and this is an order that I shall not rebuke. Should I move from this bed, I shall do-, that defeats the purpose of even punishing myself, doesn't it? Fine then, should I move from this bed, I shall then remain completely still until Gaara-kun's return. I do not know when that shall be, only that it will be late into the night.

'Sigh', As my bandaged hands dance across my extended belly, I look to the door. Will my child have my disability? The thought upsets me, I do not wish for my child to have the difficult bringing up that I had. I know that, even if our child is unable to bend chakra outside the body, that he will still have more than I did. He shall have Gaara and I at his side as well as many of our other friends. I have begun to refer to this bundle of joy as a boy because it...feels like a boy. Something in my gut tells me that this child shall be a handsome specimen of a male.

What shall our child look like? I do not wish for him to have others tease him for his appearance as I had had happened to myself. I honestly do wish that he takes up after Gaara. Gaara is so beautiful! A devilishly handsome man who carries power like others carry skin: Close and natural. Yosh! My every dream is focused upon this child taking up after his Otousan. I can think of nothing he would benefit from inheriting from me. Everything that characterizes me can also be used to characterize Gaara, even if not everyone knows it. While I am loud with my success, Gaara's accomplishments seem more silent even if everyone knows of them instantly.

'chuckle' I can remember the very moment I conceived. Three months into the trial run, there had been no success, until that one night...

(FlashBack Flashback Flashback Flashback)

(Third Person P.O.V.)

It was raining in the desert. A large celebration occurs in the streets below as the civilians laughed almost hysterically under the falling droplets. Others danced wildly and sang loudly while even more others just silently appreciated the heavy storm that would nourish their homes in the dying heat of the desert.

Lee watched all of the joy and love that showed itself within the falling sky. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, seeing how guarded the villagers usually are. This was only the third storm he had seen in his two years of residing in this place and all of them were more remarkable than the last. Of course there had been more rainfall then that, but he always seemed to be away on a mission when they occurred.

He was watching from the top of the walls that circled around the hidden village. He was waiting there, as had become tradition. In the three storms he had been present for, Gaara always dragged him outside of the walls to where they could not be found but the rain continued to pour down on them. It was those times that were truly magical, because stimulation was instant, but the pace gentle.

It was more of a knowledge then a third sense that made Lee smile and turn to his right to gaze upon the Kazekage. In the rain, Gaara was truly a magnificent sight. Hair the color of the reddest of roses that did indeed appear to be bleeding. Jaded eyes seemed to take on a misty look, as if he were not entirely within this world and his pale skin even paler. It was much of what he looked like in a sandstorm, but calmer and more enchanted. This was the gentle side of Gaara that rarely showed itself. Lee was one of the privileged few to see him in this state.

Not one word was spoken as they turned away from the blooming happiness behind them and disappeared into the never-ending sands.

Only a few hours later, the rain finally slowing in its downpour, Lee felt it. He felt it as Gaara placed his face into the junction of his neck and whispered his name like a prayer that had been answered. He felt it as his own orgasm barreled down on him like a slow consuming fire. Semen that was shot between them and semen that made him shudder even more as it slid up his anus. As he cried out Gaara's name and clung tightly to the pale shoulders, he knew what had just happened. It was as if something lit up inside him. Not the all consuming orgasm, but a candle that had begun to glow.

Gaara kissed away each tear, eyes serious and focused as the last of the rain dripped from their bodies and hair. The tears he did not swallow were wiped away as silence engulfed them. Lee looked up into Gaara's eyes, his own were shining with joy and the emotion of love that Gaara had slowly come to believe could happen. Lee's smile was a mere twitch of the lips upward even as he gave loud laughter. He threw his arms around Gaara's shoulders yet again as he yelled out their latest accomplishment.

"Gaara, Gaara! We did it! We have conceived our first child on this night of magic and youth 'sob'. Desert rain is truly precious, it had given us a gift that is invaluable!"

Gaara was silent for a moment. Lee could not see his eyes from where he had pressed his face and the Kazekage was glad for it. Lee was doing that strange thing to his insides again. It wasn't the stirring of lust or possession or any other emotion that he felt when with the green-clad jonin. It was something warm and thick and was crawling up his throat like vomit. Was this pride or joy, or even both? Then he spoke:

"We shall return to Konoha so that we may report to the hokage. Be ready to go by morning and to follow any instructions that I approve of."

Lee chuckled as Gaara moved out of the embrace, slipping his limp organ out of Lee's abused hole. Of course Gaara would say something like that instead of 'follow any instructions they set out for you.' This meant he was going to go over every rule placed before them and even add some of his own 'groan'. Lee could tell that Gaara was going to be as overprotective of this child as he was of Lee. Ooh, he could hardly wait till he gave birth! The wonderful things that they could show this baby miracle and experience with it!

(End Flashback End Flashback End Flashback End Flashback)

*Time Skip-five hours later-Time Skip*

(Gaara P.O.V.)

Slipping into the rooms I share with Lee, I take notice of all objects in the room and where they lie. They have not moved from where they had been when I had left. This means that Lee has not tried to sneak in any excursive. I am glad for it, his condition had worsened.

It is...strange.. to see Lee lying so still for days at a time. I would catch a movement and see muscles twitching as if, by doing nothing, his body is pleading that he do something. Lee had so far ignored the engraved need to improve his skills or spar, or even rival against another. I was used to routine and routine dictated that if Lee was not on a mission, he was either in his office, with me, or doing some more improbable excursuses. To have routine disrupted for such a disability as pregnancy is unnerving.

My lover is a man, I can assure the people of that. Training is what he lives and breathes and my needs for him are, among other things, sexual. This child has demanded many things and it has even yet to be born. The civilians who had come to respect him, now believe him to be insane. Horror I had not seen directed towards me since proving that I could protect this village as Kazekage had resurfaced. The villagers are terrified of what could be born of my semen, even though Shukaku had been removed nearly three years ago.

I have had shinobi try to kill my lover since he had announced his pregnancy. Sometimes I am not there, but someone else is or Lee takes care of himself(though not in recent months, he has not been allowed to leave the Kazekage residence). For those times I travel with him when he is attacked, I make a demonstration of the imbeciles for attempting to harm my Lee or my unborn child. For some, the message does not go through and they merely redouble their efforts to kill this man lying so openly on my rumpled bed.

Would Lee honestly go as far as to lock himself inside like an animal and take abuse everyday just to give birth to my child? Yes, I had known that he would do anything the moment he even suggested that we enter this program. It was who Lee was, and I had accepted that he would make obscene choices. I would label him an impostor and interrogate him for the whereabouts of where the true Lee is if he were any other way but rash and stubborn.

I walk towards the resting body, hat casually tossed into the air to land silently on the chest before the bed. Slipping out of my robes of office, I study this being. At some points, I doubt this person is human. He is the strongest and the fastest of the all within both the fire and wind countries. He has passed his Sensei in the bingo books as an expert in Taijutsu months before. Why does someone who can kill so cleanly, so absolutely, have such a heart and mind as this man did?

Not once have I heard him curse or lose his temper on a fellow shinobi. On those who have harmed his friends, I have found a keen obsession with watching him deal with the idiots. He is powerful, he could overpower me at any moment. My sand armor is no longer stable, I must jutsu it upon myself and the ultimate defense has long since been gone. Lee could end my life in a moment faster than anyone realized that he had moved and be gone in the next moment when they then noticed me dead. He has never seemed inclined to use his advantage, though.

Does he know that I would not try to stop him? Lee is mine, and if he is inclined to end my life, I would assume that it is with good reason. Is it the fear that he knows I would take him with me to the next world? I know that my love is not what others consider 'normal'. My life has never been 'normal', 'normal' was a dead man feeding my sand in my childhood. Now, 'normal' is mostly the same thing; there is more paperwork to it, though and there is usually good reason for the man to be dead instead of who ever the person was pissing me off. My love demands that I never leave him alone. Caution whispers that I should leave him behind. My own Uncle had tried to take my life, should my lover be any different? It would not matter, should he kill me, I would kill him. It is not in me to ever be alone without him again.

I doubt it is fear that stops him, though. He has proven time and time again with a thousand different moments of self-sacrifice that someone wishing rid of me would not even think to do. So many different hospital rooms for him because I had not been quick enough or as thorough as I should have been. Even now, he continues to prove that he is unlike my uncle.

Leaning onto the bed, one knee resting upon the mattress. My hand reaches out, seemingly of its own needs, to rest firmly against the bulge that had once been rigid muscles. I can not say it is soft now, it is still hard enough that I feel I could press down and it would not give. This is our child. This child created beneath the desert rain is what has finally beaten away the shadows of my mind seeking treachery from this man. Lee has followed the rules religiously. Every movement he does, I can tell he is thinking about how it may connect with the fetus. Would he do such a thing as carry my child if he wished to kill me? I do not believe so.

Slipping into the bed beside him, he turns to me in his sleep; one arm is slung around my waist and drags me closer as if I am a teddy bear. His face is pushed into my neck, and his legs are curled around my own, effectively trapping me within the embrace. Even in his sleep, his expressive eyebrows are drawn together and every movement is slow, still thinking about how it would affect our child. Would someone who feared me do such a thing? Pull me closer till we are inseparable? I do not believe so.

I stay within his arms, one of my hands stroking through his ink black hair as I stare out the window to my village. The absolute emotions that this man arrises in me are confusing in their intensity. For the second time in four months, that urge to vomit comes again. A shaky feeling encircles all of my bodily organs and the need to wrap Lee tightly in my arms to keep from falling apart is strong enough that I do not fight it. The shaking slows, then disappears. Something wet traces down my face.

One hand moves away from Lee to wipe the foreign substance away. I stare at the liquid, startled before my eyes settle on his face. I shouldn't be shocked that I am crying for the first time since I killed my uncle. It is Lee who the tears are appearing for, and Lee is always so many more steps ahead of me that I cannot keep in mind every thing he is capable of putting his mind to. Of course he could get me to cry, even when he does nothing at all.


	3. Love these boys

*Time is 4:37 am, September 2 is Time*

(Gaara P.O.V.)

I had always believed that the atmosphere of a waiting room should help ease one's mind. This is not what I had envisioned. There were children crying in almost every corner of the white-washed room. It is a sickening reminder of what our child could be like: snotty, whiney, and nerve wracking. I watch as parents look at those around them with shame and apologies. Some of the parents ignore their children altogether. This is the hell that people will condemn themselves to? I begin to doubt ever allowing Lee to talk me into this program.

My eyes strike towards the doors as they open again and then look away to study the children again. The nurse who had walked out was not the one I had assigned to Lee, she is of no concern to me. I study these mini-people, attempting to find the appeal. Why did Lee want one so badly? Could we not have adopted? It was a testimony to his true feelings for me months ago, but now I believe he could be planning on torturing me the rest of our lives. Parents come and take their children from the play pen that was set out for them. They mumble apologies to me because they realize that I am their Kazekage even though I switched out of my robes before arriving here. They avoid coming within twelve feet of me. Not only because of the agitated sand that circles around my feet, but also because of the-

"GAARA, MY EVER YOUTHFUL FRIEND! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT LEE IS TO FINALLY RECEIVE YOUR CHILD ON THIS JOYOUS MORNING!" Lee's imbecile of a sensei is one of the reasons why the children won't stop screaming.

There are many things Lee has forgiven me for, some of them things I myself have yet to forgive. Attacking his Sensei was against one of those unspoken laws. Ever since I had attempted to make a wall decoration out of him when he had first came to my village to congratulate us on successfully conceiving a child, Lee has been watchful of the time I spend with his beloved Sensei. Never mind that he had appeared on our bed at three in the morning; a time when both Lee and I are most deeply asleep. The moment my sand had touched him, Lee had instantly been between us defending his precious sensei.

The insufferable man had also began 'cock blocking' as the term went. Walking in whenever Lee and I are about to have sex and attempt to attack 'me'. The imbecile would begin speaking of 'waiting for marriage' or 'youth can not be wasted away in bed when the night is so young'. The silence was dark when I informed him that if we had waited for marriage or used our nights for something other than sex, Lee would not be in the condition he was. Lee's face took on the most interesting shade of red while his Sensei's did so as well. It was the eyes that informed me that they were for two entirely different reasons.

I do not believe he has fully forgiven me. Lee has yet to believe me when I tell him that his Sensei is making obscene attempts to keep us apart. He is so faithful to his beliefs, even when his Sensei is on our bed right as we are beginning to have sex, again, and begins spouting nonsense of marriage…again.

I married Lee within the next hour of that particular 'incident' with an elder I had captured overlooking it. If it would allow us to have sex while his Sensei is within my village, I saw no reason to hold it off. The elder saw every reason to: There were people that must be invited, traditions that must be followed, marrying a man was illegal in the Suna, etc. I managed to get the elder to agree soon enough. Naruto was visiting at the time, so he and Lee's Sensei served as witnesses and we exchanged the rings I had gotten on my way to the elder's home.

The wedding night made up for That incompetent's constant cock blocking. It was helpful that Lee's Sensei now had no reason to show up in our bed, though I am sure that he would have given the chance. The night had a different experience to it as well, something more peaceful and heated, Lee was so much more open yet tight beneath me; so much more responsive. It had made me wonder why I had waited so long to claim him legally.

Lee's Sensei believed that the wedding had much to be desired for as well. He believed that Lee deserved 'the works'. What was 'the works'? I had been to other weddings before, Naruto to that traitor, the shadow-nin to that obese man, a few others I do not care for. I had heard the same thing at both of the weddings: 'as long as your uke is happy for the wedding night'. Lee was indeed happy for the wedding night, what did we do wrong?

"LEE, MY WONDERFUL STUDENT! HOLD IN THERE AND DO NOT GIVE UP! This child shall be a bonding between our two allies, and possibly…the third beautiful green beast?"

Dramatic tears flow down the man's cheeks and I can almost see him envisioning mine and Lee's child dressed in green spandex and doing the 'good guy pose'.

In that moment, I could have forbidden him entrance into Suna ever again. Yet, I knew that Lee would never let me get away with such a thing. A stubbornly-set Lee was an impenetrable wall, in more than one way. This insane man would succeed in cock blocking without being there at all. It would make him ecstatic, I am sure.

A man sits down on my other side and begins speaking loudly to me.

"Whoo, the tension's killing me! My wife's getting a C-section, it's our first kid!"

I feel his eyes boring into me. Is this a Suna native? I doubt it, he is to forward; did I allow foreigners into my village?

"what are you here for?"

I look to the idiot, he's the definition of 'average': brown eyes, brown hair, tan skin, average height, appeared to be an average weight. So completely average, and not a ninja. I look away from him.

"Same." I feel his eyes still on me, as well as the insane man's silence. Is he testing me? Or is he making sure that I do not attempt to kill this idiot? If this is what it took to keep him quiet, I should have sat down in the center of the playpen the moment we entered the room…

"Why aren't you freaking out, man? This is scary stuff!"

I look to him again, still so average. Even his brain seems to be average. He did not know when to stop asking me stupid questions.

"Two things can happen,"

I look away from the incompetent as I think of the possibilities.

"He could live or he could die."

The man turns pale out of the corner of my eye.

"If the latter occurs, that pink kunuoichi will regret ever setting foot within my village."

The man has enough sense to move to the next seat over. I listen as he suddenly goes still.

"Wait a minute…don't you mean she?"

She, the pink kunuoichi? What was this man talking about? I turn to him enquiringly. What does he mean? Does he accuse me of wrongly speaking?

"You said…he could die or he could live."

I had said 'he could live or he could die.' What was this man talking ab-… Ah. My eyes narrow dangerously on the man. Was he insulting Lee? Could this man be as others had been since Lee's pregnancy had begun? He looked too weak to harm Lee or our child, but I intensified my glare to get my point across to this idiot.

"Lee is a man, he is giving birth to our child."

That was what I said, I could only believe that he listened to my body language and understood that he was not to even step into the same room that Lee or our child was in. Since he moved from his seat entirely and sat down at the furthest seat away from me, I know he understood.

"Gaara, you are a depressing sight! You should be making many friends with these expecting parents! Do not shy away from them, they are not only your people!"

I watched as he paused dramatically to close his eyes and open them with a 'look' in them, he lifted one hand that shook slightly as he cuts the tension he had created with the other people within the room.

"they are also in the same situation as you! They understand your feelings of fear and hope and excitement! You should stand up and announce your upcoming fatherhood to them so that they know that you are as they are instead of the cold, distant Kazekage!"

Lee had to make me go as far as to promise to never castrate this man. Why am I so weak to his will? I should never had made that promise, if I had never made that promise, I would not be stuck with him or have him terrorizing my civilians. He will not stop running around the room, asking them of their own children and declaring that his own student is giving birth.

I know he was here a few different times when shinobi and civilians alike attempted to take Lee's life. Does he not care as I had first thought? It is as if he is attempting to get Lee killed. At this point, it could take only the smallest of actions to end my spouse's life…

"Hello, may I help you…?"

I look to the nurse at my right. She is leaning forward and is extremely close to me. I had been aware that she was moving closer to me, but had allowed it believing she had news of Lee. I connect eyes with her.

"Do you know anything as of yet?"

My eyes narrow in on the confusion that comes upon her face. If this woman knows nothing, what is the point in coming to me? Confusion is replaced by a smile I label as 'whorish'. This foolish woman better know something, or she will soon come to doubt entering my territory.

"I know a-lot of things. Would you like me to show you?"

If none of these 'things' concerned Lee's condition, then I most certainly did not. I began lining up an attack upon this unsuspecting nurse to make her leave my eyesight. It was near perfection as she continues saying obscene things to me. I can feel Lee's Sensei turning red. Then my aim is blocked. Sapphire blue eyes are narrowed in absolute fury as they focus upon my unsuspecting prey.

"What the hell are you doing?! He's married to a guy, damn it! There are children in the room and dads-to-be, don't you care?"

When Naruto becomes angry, results are instant and frightening for some. This woman was ashamed. Her face resembles a man who had entered my office a month ago, sunburned and tender looking. She leaves instantly. I hope she has learned to not waste time of others on things so petty. Naruto turns to me, the green idiot was only background noise as he spoke of 'forgiveness' and how 'friends coming to visit Lee will bring his youthful spirit up'. Naruto growls at me, obviously furious. I wait for him to explain why.

"You're as bad as she is. You just sat there and did nothing! Bushy Brows could die."

Ah, he thought I was doing nothing? I did not speak as I used the trap originally set for the annoying woman on Naruto. A wave of sand sprang from where I had been setting it, wrapping around Naruto like a fist and throwing him towards the door leading out of the room. Screams and cries are heard from civilians and children alike. Lee's Sensei screams at me yet again. I am used to having no one on my side, but this was becoming ridiculous.

"I was not doing 'nothing', you disrupted my aim. I could not have done her harm with you standing where you were."

"Hey, Gaara, watch out! Would ya? We got the kids with us! You wanna punish Naruto for something he did, don't try to take it out on everyone standing behind him to."

The dog-nin holds a girl in his arms, she laughs at the sight of Naruto's fallen form.

"Tsch, what a drag. We tried to get them to let us stay in the surgery room so that we could make sure that no one pulled anything on Lee. No, we don't know anything, they never let us in and no one was coming out."

They had to know something, they had been standing outside the room, correct? They must have heard something. There body language told me that what they knew would do me no good. I decided to not waste time by asking.

"Hey, Damn it, Gaara! You ever do that again and I'll kick your ass! You better believe it!"

Naruto came towards me again, seemingly more furious. Everyone surrounding me seemed expressive at the moment.

"Dude, you're being really calm. Lee could die at any moment."

I looked at the dog-nin. He appears concerned, they all do. The insane Sensei has also fallen silent, much to the relief of my developing headache.

"I am aware of this. Is there anything you can tell me that I do not know of?"

"I can read Shino better than I can read you. Wish I knew how Bushy Brows can tell the difference between any of your moods."

"That is not something I do not know of."

"Well, I'm telling ya anyway. Deal with it."

"If you wish for me to do with you as I had done Naruto, but make sure that you do not get back into the room, I shall do so."

He holds the girl closer to his chest. The girls' green eyes look from the dog-nin to me. There is no snot on her face and the tribal markings tell me that this is the girl Lee has been speaking of. Amaya, he called her; that makes the boy the shadow-nin is holding Jun.

"Damn it, you can show something you know! The world won't end because 'Sabaku no Gaara' got down on his knees and cried!"

They seem to believe that I would show my emotions in such a way. Do they not realize that the emotions I feel in this moment are the last I wish to explain to them? Because, in this moment, I can understand why my father hated me for the murder of my mother. If this child takes Lee's life in the process of coming in to it's own, I will never be able to feel anything but hatred towards it. Lee is what makes me realize that I am human. I have human needs and Lee leads me through them. Should this child take his life, it would cost me more than my own death would.

Should I kill Lee myself, I would at least know that he is with me always. Those nights I would spend alone in my room after his death, my sand would be with me carrying my dead lover with it. Lee would never truly be gone in that way. Should this unborn child take his life, it would be out of my control. Lee would have died by sacrifice and not by my hand, and I would not be able to carry him with me always. He would be dead before he became a part of me and I know that if he could speak to me, he would be telling me to love our child. It would be another promise of the many I had never been able to make for him. I do not 'love' to begin with. I 'feel' things so much stronger than that word could ever dare to explain. I could not even 'feel' for this child should it take away Lee.

There would be no more nights spent in my bed, with him crying out beneath me, squeezing me tightly. There would be no more sparring that burns away at my every concern other than my next attack. Lunch dates I had come to depend upon and sleep that I can only receive when Lee is snoring silently in my ears. Smiles and promises that I had received from him and threats he had received from me to keep from killing himself with impossible stunts.

They would be replaced by a child that would cry and piss itself. Nights that are restless and lunches that are ignored. Sparring will be a thing only between myself and my siblings again. I would be left with memories and the monster that had destroyed my chances of making more of them.

In these moments, I can understand my Father. I can understand him so well, I feel almost frightened by it. The same type of frightened from when I first saw my own blood. In the end, I am merely killing (yet again) everything I had ever loved. And like all things I love, they find a way to escape me to somewhere I can never follow or find them.

"Yes, Gaara! Express your true feelings and allow your fire of youth to inhale and expand like a majestic forest fire! Allow yourself to escape, Gaara!"

Did this man want me to do as I wished to? To drop to my knees and begin screaming? Attempt to rip out my heart that feels like it caught the Suna's midday sun? My lungs no longer seem to want to function correctly.

Insanity is not something you can fully heal from, it is only something you can lock away. Should the keys you use to lock it away with disappear, the door opens. Grey is filling in the edges of my vision. Do they wish for me to explain all of this to them? That, in this moment of feeling 'nothing', I am overloaded with emotions I do not want to experience, that are safer not to experience.

I stare passively at all the idiots standing before me. This insane man and Naruto were the two who had stood at my wedding. The others did not even exist in this narrowing world. Naruto had been my first friend, had taught me that I could change my fate; he shall always be my closest friend. For Lee's Sensei, I could care less. It is for Lee's sake that he matters at all. He is the man who formed Lee, made him who I came to depend upon. For that, the man is not dead. For him, Lee is not dead by my sand or any other incompetent. They were the only two I would bother to answer to, should the need arise.

"No, the world would not end if I got on my knees and cried."

Because that would not happen. I had cried, months ago, for Lee. I was not going to cry again, not for this. Should I get down on my knees now, the world would indeed end. Because I would not be shedding tears, I would be shedding my humanity. Lee cannot die, not like this, not yet.

I say nothing more as the doors open again, silence fills the atmosphere as the Hokage stops in front of us. I do not know why she has not told us yet of Lee's condition. This 'suspense' is not humoring me. And then, she smiles and I have never been more glad of our alliance.

*Time is 5:47 pm, September 2 is Time* (Lee P.O.V.)

I must admit, I feel as if I had been intense training for days. It is the kind of training that leaves me feeling as if I had been through something quite painful, but it still makes me feel like I had fulfilled something great! This type of training usually means that Gaara and I got into a fight about something I planned to do or we are attempting to burn away our frustration at something or another. Except…ow…. The pain was indeed everywhere. A full mental body check informs me that my abdomen is stitched together, but other than that and a little lightheadedness, I am fine! I must congratulate Lady Tsunade and Sakura-kun on another job well done. I check my surroundings by stretching out my senses. Everything seems normal, had everything gone successful? Where was our child? I had heard Lady Tsunade say that it was a boy and she sounded quite proud. I wonder if I may see Gaara and Gai-Sensei yet…

Ah-Hah! I open my eyes directly to my right to gaze upon the stoic male sitting there. I have attempted many staring contests against my special person before and I have only won the few that he handed me (something or another about it being a foolish challenge and child's play). I do not attempt to win now and only return the stare contently. I am lucky, to have such a handsome spouse.

"How do you feel?"

How many people would be able to tell just what Gaara must have gone through in the lobby? I frown as I take in the look in his eyes. I do not look at the surface; no, that would be too simple! I look to the screaming man behind the steady ice. I reach out one hand (slowly, steadily; as if reaching out to a wild animal) and gently lay my hand against his face so that my fingers brushed his scar and my thumb rested against his lips. I see something calm in his eyes at the simple touch. I could almost hate how responsive he is. As Rock Lee, The Second Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, hate is a taboo word. To hate was to never forgive. Wasn't this classified as unforgivable? A child that had been born to be a weapon and was ignored as he was meant to be: a child. It was tragic, and I am grateful that our child shall know differently from both of our pasts.

"Gaara, I am fine. You will see, I shall be up and running within the next two weeks or I shall do three hundred laps around Suna on my hands backwards!"

His eyes are slits as he studies me. Questions boggle my mind: Where is our child? What shall we name him? What does he look like? Has Gaara seen him yet? Do I get to see him yet?

"You almost left me. You would have left me to give birth to a child I would have despised."

I am truly shocked by his words, even if the part of me that is a part of Gaara always knew this to be the truth. I did not come into this relationship with rose-colored glasses as the saying goes.

"G-Gaara! I know that should I have died on that bed, you would have done anything within your power to make sure that our child got the best treatment!"

I drift my hand to trace his eyes. He gets five hours of sleep a night as long as I sleep with him, how are the shadows still so dark around his eyes? They seem even thicker now than they have the last time I traced them. Is there a part of me that attempts to rub away these smudges? I do believe so, I feel as if I am attempting to wipe them away right now.

"You are right; but what about after I give it the best treatment? I would not love it, and I would never attempt to come to know it. No promise you could have forced me to make could make me care for it, Lee."

How sad that I know this is true. It is one of the things that kept me alive during the surgery. It was my wish to introduce Gaara to his son so that he could grow to love him!

I had known that, even if I had been the one to give birth to his child, love would not blossom in his chest for a baby. Gaara was a man that came to care for things gradually! Caution is not one of the greatest aspects of youth, but I had taken care in demolishing his caution when it interferes with Gaara enjoying the full bloom of his youth!

"Gaara, where is our child? We shall enjoy the wonders of parenting together, my most special person!"

My body is being quite loud in its testimony to the pain I am in. But I lean up and forward anyway so that I may kiss my most special person. It is the longest kiss we had partaken in in a longer time than I care to go again. It is a promise and at the same time, it is a declaration! I have no plans on leaving now, not for a very long time! As long as my determination and strong will can fight off death, I shall do so!

"LEE, MY MOST YOUTHFUL STUDENT! HAVE YOU YET TO SEE THE FRUIT OF YOUR PASSION WITH THE STOIC, COLD KAZEKAGE! IT IS A MOST HANDSOME BOY AND THE PROMISE HE HOLDS FOR THE FUTURE HAS MY HOPES HIGH! I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE HE WAS CONCEIVED FROM GAARA'S FLAME! Do you wish for me to escort Gaara out so that you may spend some time alone with your son? We shall dote upon him together while Gaara practices pouting in the hall!"

I am most lucky! To have two of my most important people within the room with me. I am truly blessed! I ignore Gaara's pointed 'do-you-believe-me-now?' stare. Gai-Sensei does not treat him badly! It is merely his imagination, Gai-Sensei would never do such things as Gaara has been accusing him of.

"GAI-SENSEI, I have yet to see him, I wish to have my first glance of our son with my most special person! Please, may we see him now?"

I frown as dark clouds descend upon my Sensei's head. What had I said wrong? Possibly, does Gaara know what has saddened my Sensei? He most definitely seems smug about Gai-Sensei's sudden depression. Then Gai-Sensei is gone as he goes to bring our child to us.

Excitement dances upon my spine. Earlier fears chase themselves through out my mind. What does our child look like? Can this child bend chakra outside of his body? Will this boy be able to become the next Kazekage? Can I get Gaara to love him? The last thought drifts like sludge into my mind. Of course I can! My determination of will can defeat Gaara's defenses! Gaara needs more people to love and more people that can love him.

And then I hear Gai-Sensei's laughter. I can hear my heart thunder in my chest! I await eagerly for the appearance of our son. I grab Gaara's hand and squeeze tightly as I swallow. How big is our baby? Is he healthy? What is he like? Can we make him ha-

Oh, oh…Gaara and I did indeed luck out with this one. Our child is beautiful! I reach out my arms to receive the child I had carried for eight months. Gaara and I made this child! As I place our boy against my chest, I could not be more proud of our success! Gai-Sensei leaves the room. I feel the tears cascading down my face as I turn to Gaara.

"Ga-Gaara, he is beautiful! He looks so much like you!"

And our son did resemble Gaara in every way! The tufts of hair were as red as roses and skin as pale as moonlight! I feel as if we are being handed a second chance at raising Gaara himself! Looking to Gaara, my heart falls a few inches. He did not look as joyous as I would have hoped. He actually looks…upset? But why?!

"Gaara, are you okay? I know that you do not love this child as of yet, but I do know that you will as time goes on!"

I think on it for a moment before something clicks within my mind.

"Yosh! You had already envisioned what our child was to look like, did you not? Gaara, please tell me what you thought he would look like!"

I thought that he had come out perfectly. An epitome of a handsome little man! I look into the face of our sleeping child and I know that he shall accomplish great things. The only thing that could upset Gaara at this point, was not having something come out the way he planned. As Kazekage, things not going as planned are usually disastrous.

"He was supposed to look like you."

I feel emotions choking my throat. Gaara was upset because the child did not resemble me?

"Gaara, that is sweet of you! I am sure, though, that even if this child does not resemble me in the least, he shall have my determination and strength of will! I can see it in the set of his eyebrows…"

His eyebrows were red and were incredibly small, almost nonexistent. But they were drawn together, as if he was already thinking of ever youthful things to be doing! And then, he opened his eyes… two obsidian orbs stare up in Gaara's direction. I saw the change in Gaara, he shall come to adore this child yet!

(Gaara P.O.V.)

I did not want our child to resemble me. I had heard people as they describe my appearance. Hair as dark as blood and skin as white as death or even bones. I do not understand why Lee is happy about this outcome. Besides, I do not need to walk around my own home to see a growing reminder of my own childhood. The gods truly do despise me to damn me with this child.

Then, it's eyes opened. They are not my eyes, they could be no one's eyes but Lee's. The eyes were of my shape, but were definitely larger than my own. For this child to have Lee's eyes… It changes a few things. No one that had Lee's eyes could honestly be a demon, could they? Would this child grow with the same expression in his eyes as Lee has? Would this child gaze upon me with love just as Lee does? Maybe this child shall have Lee's determination and will, the eyes are certainly promising…

I take our child from Lee's arms, following the directions that he tells me to hold him correctly. So, if Lee and I were to be mixed together, this is the outcome? It is acceptable at most. I still would have preferred if this child had taken after Lee entirely. If that had occurred, no one would run from him in fear.

"Gaara, is he not beautiful? To think that we created such a wonderful specimen of a baby boy! Maybe all lovers should make love beneath the desert rain, do you not think so, Gaara?"

Speaking of lovers. I can hardly remember the last time Lee was beneath me.

"Has the Hokage told you how long it will take you to recover?"

"Huh?.. Oh no, she has not yet! When she returns, I shall ask her."

"The day she states you able, find a babysitter for our child. I do not care to go so long without sex again."

"Gaah! Gaara, not in front of our child!"

"He will not remember this."

"Still! Gaara, the ears of youth are unprivileged, and must be talked to with consideration and lo-"

"Kanaye"

"ve!…what?"

"This child shall be named Kanaye."

"Kanaye…Yosh! A very youthful name and it suits him perfectly! Aw, Gaara, I think he likes his name!"

The child was not changing expression, how could Lee tell that the child was happy? Those obsidian orbs are still staring at me. Something stirs within my chest. It is thick and warm like heated honey and for the third time in the past 8 months, I have the strong urge to throw up. I believe I am feeling pride in my small family… It is not that surprising. I have chosen good people to be close to me.

"Gaara, we should invite everyone to come in and gaze upon our miracle child!"

"Not yet, I am just getting used to the silence without your idiot of a Sensei screaming in my ears."

"Gai-Sensei is not an idiot! What do you have against him? Is it because of his youthful energy and way with words?"

"His 'youthful energy' and 'way with words' sent children screaming to their parents in the lobby."

"I can assure you it was not because of Gai-Sensei!"

"And if it was?"

"No one could be frightened of Gai-Sensei unless he wishes to strike fear into their hearts!"

"And you wonder why the enemy never takes you seriously."

"Gaara, you are being so mean!"

"He's sleeping."

"Stop changing the sub- oh, he is? Ah! So adorable… Gaara, what are you doing?"

"I'm about to kiss you, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"But, Gaara! I have yet to brush my teeth today and my breathe could make-"

…

… If Lee is not prepared to have sex within the next week, we shall have to resort to another means of cumming.

"Gaara, you take enjoyment in interrupting every other thing I say, don't you?"

"Yes, now hold still…"

"Ga-Gaara, ah, not in front of, ah hah ha!, Kanaye (groan)."

"Hey Bushy Brows, Gaara! Came to see the little - HOLY SHIT!"

"GAARA! HOW DARE YOU MOLEST MY YOUTFUL STUDENT IN FRONT OF A DEVELOPING MIND! MY MIND IS BOGGLED THAT YOU WOULD DO SUCH A HENIOUS THING!!!…!!"

"God Damn, can't you two wait before you put the baby factory back to use? Amaya, baby, if bug daddy asks what you saw, what are you gonna say?"

"Lee!"

"That's right, you saw Lee, don't say anything else."

"Lee ah Gaa-aa!"

"No. don't tell bug daddy that! No, no, I'm not yelling at you, don't cry…that's my girl!"

"What a drag, Jun's gonna reenact this in front of Chouji and then he's going to interrogate me on this.(sigh) Everything's going to go to hell when we get home."

The four intruders and two babies stood in the doorway. Witnesses to a moment that would have gone further if they had waited till we had sent for them. In that moment, I considered mass murder. Then Lee eeps and attempts to hide his face in my chest, seeing as how I had gotten on top of him and leaned forward so as to make it easier on him. Kanaye is sleeping in the small crib the nurses had set out within reach of the bed. He is endearing with his face such a shade of red…

I will allow these imbeciles to live another day.


	4. Story time! Tell us all, children

Grass green eyes were wide with horror, brown hair spiky and thick around her face. In her lap, a puppy stared at the opposite boy with just as much horror, but with less understanding.

"You saw your green-daddy do _what_?" A small fang peeked out of her mouth as her lip began to tremble in the terror she was feeling, her hands clenched in the fur of her puppy; her face was almost as red as the upside-down triangles that were on both of her cheeks.

"I saw my mommy and daddy do that too!" A boy with hair a lighter shade of brown, but pulled back into a ponytail that bushed at the end, stared at the boy with understanding. His almond-brown eyes were dark with sympathy. "Mommy made daddy sleep on the couch for a week…and then it happened _all over again_!" He sighed in defeat, tiny shoulders slumping in despair. "It's so troublesome…and then they always try to play it off as if they never did it, or that I didn't even know that they did it!"

The green-eyed girl reached over and patted the poor boy on the back, her puppy pawing at his leg in support. "Poor, poor Jun… I'm _way_ passed freaking out about it."

Both children turned and looked at her, disbelief on their faces. "Seriously?" Jun asked, eyes wide.

"Yep, now I just get angry. They have a bedroom, they should use it!" She nodded her head to her own statement, eyebrows drawn together in annoyance. Her puppy 'woofed', in total agreement with her mistress.

"My chichi turns red as father's hair, and then he hits father…It's almost to sad to watch." The boy who had begun the discussion, a small boy with spiky red hair and extremely pale skin, eyes as dark as those of a raven's, added. "Father tells me that chichi is the way he is when others see them about to do it because he's shy. Since _when_ was chichi ever shy? He once went running through Konoha in his underwear because of a dare!"

Jun nodded his head in agreement, poking his hand into the bag of chips he had slowly been eating; he had taken up after his mom with his appetite, but it didn't show. Apparently, daddy was still skinny because he had a really fast metabolism and had passed that down to his son; luckily, Jun did not need the excessive fat, he was just like his daddy, as his mom had learned only a few days ago.

"My mom says that dad's a big pervert, and if I turn out just like him, he'll have to tushy whoop me good." He turned to the girl with the puppy. "How about you, Amaya?"

The girl shrugged, her expression dry as she thought about it; her hands were stroking the cream-colored fur of the puppy lounging in her lap. "I say 'ew' and then walk away. But my parents have no shame, so it doesn't do me a lot of good. Pup-daddy just laughs it off, and bug-daddy doesn't say anything. I once caught them doing it on the couch in the living room! I haven't sat on it since." Both boys made the 'ew' expression.

"The couch? My chichi would _kill _father before he let him do that! Kage or not!" The redhead stated with utter conviction.

Amaya wasn't listening anymore; she was growling at the blonde that was laughing, balanced on the window ledge he had sat on when he had first been forced into the room by their parents. She hoped he fell off…

"This isn't funny! How 'bout you walk in on bug-daddy getting it on with my pup-daddy? You won't be laughing then!"

"Or my daddy getting on top of my mommy? That was terrible! I woke up crying for days, it was so scary!" Jun again added, eyes zooming to Amaya's for confirmation that she understood just how horrifying it had been. Amaya nodded, eyes serious and focused on the exuberant blonde. He was still laughing; even harder than before! If he didn't fall off, she was going to shove him off!

"Hahahahahah- Hey! What the- Hey, don't do tha- AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

Amaya cheered the redhead on, hands pumped above her head as she started laughing now. Jun watched on with boredom now. "Yeah, Kanaye! Show Blondie just how funny it is!"

"How troublesome…"

"Oh, children! We are here to pick you lovely youths up and return you all home- KANAYE, what are you doing to Naruto-kun!!!!????"

The raven-haired man rushed forward, grabbing the ankle Naruto was hanging from, being handled by a thick strand of sand. The man in green spandex turned back to Kanaye, an angry look on his face that had the small redhead tilting his head down in quiet shame, though he kept eye contact. He was a Sabaku, he didn't back down! That's what his father had said…but he had also told him to not challenge his chichi until he knew what that entitled…

At the door, loud baying laughter could be heard. A man with sun-tanned skin came in after the spandex-man, leaning down and swooping up Amaya who squealed in joy, the puppy caught between the two. "Pup-daddy! Don't ever let Naruto baby-sit us again! He just sat there and laughed at us!"

"Hey! Why, you little-" Naruto was held back by the raven-haired man, his arms outstretched toward the girl as he scratched at air. The spandex clad jounin gasped in shock.

"Naruto-kun! Why were you laughing at the youth of the next generation?"

*sigh* "Think carefully about that before you answer it, Naruto." From hanging out with the boy genius for so many years, the voluminous brunette-blonde could see what was coming next. Once he stepped inside the room, he had a smaller, almost-carbon copy of himself when he had been seven smiling up at him, arms reaching up in a sign of wanting to be held. Chouji laughed as he reached down to do so. He rubbed his cheek against his son's, always captivated by the child he had given birth to. Now, if only he could talk Shikamaru into doing it again…

"Hey! This is all of your guy's fault for doing the nasty outside the bedroom!" A cold dread seemed to filter throughout the room at Naruto's words.

Chouji's eyes become extremely large in an extremely small second, looking down at his son with horror as the small child giggled. Not to far from him, Kiba looked like he had swallowed one of his hubby's bugs, not quite sure if he wanted to look at his daughter. There was a crash as Lee released the hold he had had on Naruto's ankle; with no support left, the blonde fell to the floor, not that Lee noticed. He gulped and turned slowly to look at his own son. The small redhead raised an almost non-existent eyebrow at him, arms crossed over his chest as if he was waiting for an admission. Looking at the horrified spandex-clad mommy, both Jun and Amaya burst out laughing. This was just to funny.

In a moment, Lee had his son in his arms, stepping off of the window ledge as if he were in a hurry to get somewhere. Amaya and Jun were laughing so hard, they almost didn't catch his words; when they did, they both nearly fell out of their parents loose grips:

"GAARA!!! WE HAVE POLLUTED OUR SON'S MIND!!!! WE ARE BAD PARENTS!!!!"

"So not funny." Jun instantly stopped laughing, eyes focused on the rust-colored armor his mommy wore. As long as his mommy didn't think something was funny, neither did Jun.

"Whach'a talkin' about? That was the funniest thing I've seen in months!" Kiba had to lean against his massive dog for support, releasing one hand from the band he had made around his daughter's waist to hold her up to give her a high-five.

On the floor, Naruto was hoping that his teme came home soon; he needed to have a screaming match… He looked at the two couples left in his house and groaned. When had all of his friends became insane? Who the hell wanted their son to control shadows? Or sand…or rabies-infested dogs! These kids were dangerous! He was never, ever going to baby-sit for them again, better believe it!


	5. stop molesting Chichi!

Author's Note: I have seen so many comics that had this unmistakable scene, so I decided to write it!

Lee groaned, nails digging into Gaara's shoulders, looking for something to ground him. He bit his lip hard enough that it bled, releasing it to gasp and pant before whimpering. He arched his body into the forward motions of his lover, toes curling from the intense pleasure; because of all of his scars and training, slow loving was not the greatest of options, but this was an exception. It was Gaara who had wanted slow and easy tonight; that made Lee feel every breath that he breathed, every whispering touch, every whispered word as if it were being spoken loud and with bruising force.

Hot breath beat at his collarbone, and then the skin was enveloped in that heat, Gaara's tongue bathing the area as he sucked gently. Lee released his lip to gasp again, nails making long red marks down the redhead's back as he attempted to keep himself in this world. He refused to cum before Gaara did…he would use his determination if he ha- if he ha-….*groan*

Gaara released his collarbone and Lee found himself looking into eyes as hot as a sapphire flame. Every movement forward, pushing the redhead deeper into him, caused Lee to lose a little more of his inhibitions; that look very well could end him. This time, his lips were stolen, that same wet organ licking at his bleeding bottom lip, sucking again. Right when Lee thought it was impossible to feel anything more, the spot inside was hit, and hit continuously. When Gaara released his lip, Lee was nothing more but a twisting, unhinged creature. It was all just to much to take in! It was everything he could not to scream! Gaara was being _evil_.

Hot breath blew against his ear, their chests pressed together and the friction against the redhead's abdomen and his member made him feel as if he could _die_.

"We're almost there…so fucking…*pant*…_close_!" Unable to hold himself any longer, Gaara allowed himself a moment to lose control, slamming forward into his lover's welcoming, _tight _body, before forcing his body to return to it's earlier pace. His mouth swooped down to cover Lee's, stopping the scream he knew would have escaped.

They were on stolen time; this had to last as long as they could make it, with the _least_ amount of noise. It was one of his greatest pleasures to hear Lee scream and beg, it showed him just how much he could give this strange, insane (would anyone sane do as Lee did?) creature. But they would have to keep that for another time. They needed this to _last_, not end in altogether disaster-

"Father! It's almost 2, can we go to Uncle Kankuro's?"

"I wanna steal his kitty ears!…IT BURNS!! IT BURNS US!!!"

Lee, for one whole minute, considered not looking, his face flushed red with horror. He met Gaara's disbelieving gaze, and all hopes that this was a sick joke were flushed down the toilet. He lifted his upper body to peek around Gaara's shoulder, looking at the three children (and one dog) standing in the doorway. The girl had her hands over her puppy's eyes, her own screwed tightly shut as she bent over in 'pain'. A boy with dark honey colored hair stared with mouth gaped open and a red blush on his face to rival Lee's. Their son, however, stood there with an annoyed look on his face, black eyes staring at them with disgust.

"Oh, come on! Father, I understand; but, _Chichi_?" Their son pointed an accusing finger at his horrified 'mother'. "Bad Chichi! There are young eyes in this house! You could have waited till we left!" He grabbed Jun's hand, grasping Amaya by the shoulder because she still had her hands over her puppy's eyes. "Let's go! They can catch up to us when they're done!"

Lee and Gaara both watched the door shut behind the three children, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Possible five minutes after their exit, Lee was the first to speak, laying back down as Gaara turned back around so that he wasn't looking over his own shoulder.

"Oh, be quiet." Gaara had a smirk on his face that could have made any Suna chounin run for Konoha.

"He took control of the situation, not even the konoha offspring were able to do that."

Lee's eyebrows drew together in annoyance, though secretly pleased himself, as he shoved Gaara off of him; their erections dead from the horror of the past event. Ignoring the wet, empty feeling inside of himself from neither of them having cummed, he stood and began to dress, not looking back at the proud redhead.

"I felt as if we were teenagers being caught by Gai-Sensei again! We were ridiculed by our eight year old child, Gaara! His nine year old friends saw us as well! I have never felt so irresponsible as I do now- Gaara!"

Sand tripped him, ripping the spandex suit from his hands as he was forcefully shoved back onto the bed. He looked up at his redheaded lover with exasperation and annoyance. "We are to take them to Kankuro's, Gaara! There shall be no more sex, do you understand that! They are waiting for us, and I do not want a repeat of what just happened! Gaara…are you even _listening_ to me?" It didn't seem like it, what with Gaara kissing his way down his neck onto his chest. A nip was placed over his one nipple, causing him to gasp and arch up into the contact, but only for a second! "Gaara! They are waiting for us! Can you think with anything else but with your passionate body?"

"He told us to catch up to them when we're done. Since he is the future Kazekage, I do not think I should disobey him."

Lee's eyes widened considerably, looking up at Gaara who was leaning over his head to reach the scarred flesh of his lover. "You will hardly listen to my Hokage, but you will listen to our-, oh….oohh. I mean- Darn it, Gaara! Would you stop that, we need to take them to…to…I do not like you, Gaara."

Gaara leaned away from the nipple he had been teasing, tasting Lee's personal flavor on his lips as he licked them. "To bad; you married me, and you took the role of the wife; by law, you have to look to my happiness. This will make me _very_ happy."

Lee groaned, arching into the redhead's mouth. "Ooohh, I would not say such things…in front of the *gasp*…girls…they would castrate you!"

"It's a good thing I didn't marry a girl then, isn't it?"

"Gaara!"

"Lee?"

"…Make it very fast, I do not want them walking there by themselves."

"I thought you would see things my way."

"If you two don't get your butts down here, I'm going to come up there and go Sabaku on both of you!"

There was a disturbing silence between both of the adults, and then Gaara broke it.

"He takes up after you."

"What are you talking about? He is entirely Sabaku; at his age, I would never speak so disrespectfully to any adult!"

"At his age, I didn't speak at all; would you rather he take up after me?"

"Oh, that was only because no one could see you as the wonderful, loving child you were and was neglected! Had you had a normal childhood, _that is how you would have acted_!"

"1, 2, 3...Coming up!"

"No! We are coming, be patient!" He looked up at Gaara, eyes laughing even as he sighed in mocking annoyance. "See? Only someone such as you would willingly walk back into a room where two people are making love, just to break them apart…using sand."

Quickly, they parted and dressed. Just as they were about to walk out of their bedroom door, it slammed open and tendrils of sand whisked around them. Their son stood in front of them with arms crossed impatiently over his chest and one eyebrow ticked up at them. "Are we going yet? You two take forever!" With no further conversation, he grabbed his chichi's hand and dragged him downstairs, leaving his father to follow. He only turned to look at his father once, eyes daring the older redhead to disobey. "Now, father; Chichi is fragile. Stop molesting him!"

Lee burst out laughing, swooping down and picking up his child. Gaara stared at his son with dread, frozen between one step and the next. "Kanaye." He waited till his son stopped trying to burrow into his chichi's chest and looked up at him seriously; it was amazing how differently he treated both of his parents: he treated his father with passive love, and pride (as if he were the man of the house), and his chichi with affection, love, and obsession; he was most definitely a 'momma's' boy. "You are not allowed to spend anymore time with Gai."

Gaara walked pass them, stuck in the horrifying nightmare that he had had ever since the day Lee had gone into labor; the third beautiful green beast…of Konoha…hell no, not if he could help it.

Lee watched his husband's retreating back with humor while Kanaye looked on with anger. "I hear that Gai-Sensei must come to Suna for a mission in a only a three days! What do you think about asking him to stay with us? He would love your youthful company!" He and his son looked at each other for a moment, and then began snickering.

"I would love to, Chichi! Now let's get moving, Uncle Kankuro isn't going to be home all day!"

"Yosh!"


	6. Bugdaddy! Pupdaddy!

Kiba watched the three children run around in the sand, his eyes dancing with laughter and a snigger escaping his lips. He looked out of the corner of his eye at his hubby, who stood there as he would stand anywhere else: straight, and mostly hidden behind layers of cloth, despite the heat.

"Kiba. Stop staring; it is impolite." Kiba laughed, looking back to the children. Behind him, Akamaru barked; not quite sure why his master was humored, but sharing in on it anyway. The large dog had long since laid down and began panting, not enjoying the heat at all.

"Aw, but you're so smexy. I should be allowed to stare all I want." One of Shino's eyebrows shot up.

"Smexy?"

Kiba smirked, showing a large fang as he snickered. "Yeah; real _smexy_." He began laughing at his hubby's expense, feeling the other's confusion as if he could see the other's face.

"What slang word is that? Why add an 'm' to sexy? It is entirely ridiculous to add another letter to an already existing word and have others say it as well…"

Kiba leaned over the short distance separating them, running his tongue over the small area of skin shown of his cheek. "The 'm' is for 'more'. Get it now? 'More' sexy…or it could be 'mmm'. What do you think? Heh, buggy-boy; mmm sexy, or more sexy?" He tugged at the outer green coat that his lover was wearing, able to hear the excited movement of the kikaichou with his subtle ministrations; well, he thought they were subtle: his baby-girl hadn't caught on yet…

Shino remained very still, and then he spoke. "If you continue, that will be another story that Amaya shall tell the other adults; the treatment we are already receiving is bad enough, we are close to having Lady Tsunade castrate us."

Kiba whimpered, a puppy dog pout stuck on his face. "What am I supposed to do! It's not like they're gonna get hurt or something! Kanaye can do that thing with the sand; Jun has the shadow stuff down; and I'll let our baby-girl keep Akamaru. Besides, have you _seen_ how many jounin are watching us right now? It's like they don't trust us or something!"

As inconsiderate as Kiba's statement sounded; it also had some truth to it. In all honesty, it would only be another year till they entered the ninja academy; they hardly needed so many people watching them. But they were not watching the children for _their _safety.

"Kiba."

"Yeah, buggy-boy?"

"Remember our old home?" Kiba stopped all pleading. He turned and stared at the three children with utter concentration and his dog shuddered. Shino watched with approval…even if it didn't show.

A woman, not to far behind them sitting on a bench, had been eaves-dropping on their conversation. She was a harmless civilian, watching her own small child play on the tire swing, and she had been horrified with their actions. Now, she was just confused. Curiosity, having always been a dangerous trait of hers, drove her to walk up and ask. Before she could even say 'S'cuse me', she had the attention of both men, one still the pouting, the other…well, she wasn't sure about the other. She stared at them blankly for a moment, startled by the speed in which she had gained their attention, before asking the question.

"What happened to your old home." The pouting man grimaced, showing a fang in his distaste of the question. He turned away, mumbling something the woman could not quite catch. She turned to the other man, oddly covered in layers of clothing, and raised an eyebrow. What could have happened to cause that reaction?

The man _seemed _to stare at her for a moment, and then he answered. "The Kazekage had visited our village a few months back; with him, he brought his son, Kanaye. Upon their arrival, Lee, the Kage's…'wife'…had asked us to watch over him. Not long after that; our daughter arrived home with her friend, Jun, and we had all three of them within our home. They had an argument over who's parents were strongest -"

"Baby-girl _so_ won that argument." The pouting man grumbled. The man explaining this all to her went on, ignoring his companion.

"and began fighting. In short; we had to move."

The woman looked at him, aghast. "What possibly could have happened? Three children could hardly cause that kind of damage!"

The pouting man snorted; she could see the visible fall of the heavily-clothed man's shoulders, as if she had just said something so stupid, he was in despair. She watched with confusion.

"Listen, lady, you don't know our kids….what the- Kanaye! Put that kid down, this ain't a game!"

The woman, more confused and disbelieving than when she had first walked over, followed the tan man's gaze to see what the problem was. Her heart shrank 3 sizes that day, and then went very cold.

"MY BABY!" She rushed forward, grabbing her child from the clutches of a small boy with hair red as blood and eyes extremely dark. Sand broke from the hold it had had on her child, and she stared horrified at the confused child. In her arms, her child's shoulders were shaking. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay baby. Momma's here, she's not going to let that little red-haired devil get you again-"

"Do it again! Do it again, do it again, do it again!!" Her child had both hands pumped into the air, her shoulders shaking from laughter and excitement dancing in her eyes. She struggled against her mother's shocked hold, fighting it so she could get the small redhead to pick her up and spin her with his sand again. He was so cool!

From one side of the red-haired child, a girl with a red symbol on both of her cheeks was laying in the sand, clutching at her stomach as she laughed, a puppy rolling in the sand beside her. On the other side of him, another boy had worry written on his face as he stared at the standing boy, his hands buried beneath the sand as he tried to find the bag of chips his redheaded friend had hidden…again. The redhead himself was blinking in disbelief, staring at the woman as if she had just spoken another language. And then an 'ew' expression came over his face.

"I am _not_ a red-haired devil! That's what Grandfather Gai calls father!" He stuck his tongue out in distaste. "That's what chichi calls him too…"

The woman kept a firm hold on her child as she stared down at the boy, not really sure if she _should _comment on that.

Behind the woman, Kiba had began laughing loudly, clutching his own stomach. He yelped when he was suddenly slammed into the sand below him, meeting the grains with his face and getting them into his mouth. Sputtering, he looked up at his hubby, fury on his face.

"What was that for?!"

"Being an idiot." Was the stoic answer.

Kiba growled, on his feet and in his lover's face in less than a second. "Bug-boy!"

"Mutt."

"Pest!"

"poodle."

"!…! !-," Shino's eyebrow shot up.

"You can't think of anything else."

A furious red flush came over Kiba's face. "I'm going to get the bug-killer on your ass!"

"Pup-daddy! This is a playground; watch your language!"

Both parents looked at their daughter, who had, somehow, slipped right up to them. One hand on her hip, the other hanging, she glared at them. Kiba had a slightly open mouth, unable to compute this new situation, and Shino nodded in agreement. When their child was sure they understood, she ran back to her puppy who had just began to realize that her mistress was gone, and her two other friends; Kanaye still having a staring contest with the horrified mother.

"We are never letting Bigger Busy-brows baby-sit her again, got that?" Kiba asked. Still watching her daughter. Shino shook his head.

"He is a good influence on the children; eccentric, but he knows what he is doing. I am surprised he does not have children of his own by now."

"Shino, she swears! She's not being good, she's being a hypocrite!"

Shino tilted his head slightly. "That could also be a genetic trait."

Kiba glared at his hubby. "I hate you."

"You know that is a lie."

"Oh yeah? How do you know for sure?"

"You are still wearing my ring on your finger. As a dog-lover and a careless person, you should have long since lost it. You have not, and every time it has gone missing, you went in search for it; you would not go through such trouble if it were not important to you."

"…I hate you…_a lot."_

"Pup-daddy! Bug-daddy! Kanaye is terrorizing this little girl's momma!"

Both adults turned and saw the raised sand, hissing like so many snakes, and directed at the woman. There was a loud 'OH MY GOD' from the woman, before she fell to the ground and passed out; without having even been touched or advanced on. The child she had been holding patted her mother's cheeks for a minute, trying to see if she could wake her up. When she discovered she couldn't, she shrugged and turned back to the small redhead.

"Do it again!"

Both Shino and Kiba had a dark cloud of depression surrounding them. Gaara was going to kill them…


	7. Our past is our present

Kanaye sighed, depressed as could be. Watching him, his chichi frowned, and walked over. Kneeling down so that he was level with his 11 year old child, he pulled his son into a heart-warming hug. His son grumbled, but leaned into the contact anyway; he may be one of the toughest, strongest prodigies of the Suna Ninja Academy, but he was okay with showing his affection for his 'mommy'. His father had told him on one occasion, that those who did not take every chance given to them to revel in other's affections were nothing but spoiled idiots; only they would pass up such comforts. Kanaye knew that everything his father said was true; he just wasn't capable of lying, unable to see the point behind it.

"What is wrong, my blossoming lotus?" Lee asked his child, stroking the untamable red locks. Kanaye sighed again, his shoulders slumped in sorrow.

"I _hate _my team." Lee didn't stop his ministrations even as his face took on a serious look he reserved for when he was about to reprimand his son (or husband, but that's a different story). His son continued on before he had the chance, though. "I know, I know…hate is a strong word; but it's not strong _enough_ for what I feel towards my team!" He scowled, burrowing deeper into his chichi's solid chest. "They're all stuck up and think they're so great just because they're so strong and smart! They keep talking about all of these fancy things they own, and guess what?" He waited for his chichi's response.

Blinking in a slight bit of shock, Lee's eyebrows drew together in concern. "What?"

"They don't even have any friends!" Kanaye exploded, leaning back so that he could meet his chichi's eyes. "It's like, just because they're rich and powerful, they think they don't need anybody!" He frowned, his thin, red eyebrows drawing together in confusion, and then finally annoyance. "What's so funny?"

Lee was indeed chuckling, his shoulders shaking in humor. He looked down into his son's eyes. "I bet that they only act that way because nobody wants to be their friends."

His son looked at him with confusion. "Well, yeah; if that's how they have always acted, then of course no one wants to be their friends!" His 'mother' shook his head.

"No, no, that is not what I mean Kanaye." He pulled his son closer to him, smiling gently at his very confused son. "At one time, I am sure that they wanted friends that would play with them and help them, such as Amaya-kun and Jun-kun are with you! But, because of how people thought they would be like, they had few willing to play with them. I am willing to run 3oo laps around Suna on my hands if I am wrong! But I do think that they grew up thinking that money and popularity could fill that hole inside their hearts usually inhabited by loved ones!"

Kanaye stared up at his 'mother', even more confused then when his chichi had first began speaking. "How do you know that?" He placed a hand on his chichi's cheek, concerned about the smile that came on his face; it looked so sad and far away, it wasn't his chichi at all!

"I know, because the same thing happened to your father." Kanaye's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Father? I bet he never acted stuck-up! People love him, why would they ignore him?" Lee chuckled again.

"One question at a time, my blossoming lotus." He smoothed down the red locks of his son, only to have them spring back up. "But yes…in a different sense. He did not act 'stuck-up' or 'popular'…he was led to believe that only he could love himself. Yes, everyone loves and adores him now, but it was a different story with his childhood: people believed that he would be evil, and that he was a murderer, and feared him. He… became very angry, and decided that he would give them something to fear." His son looked at him with awe.

"What did he do?" Lee looked at his son with sadness.

"He…that is a story for another time, Kanaye. The point is, is that he had no one to love him." Now Kanaye snorted.

"Yeah, right. He had Aunt Temari, Uncle Kankuro, Naruto. He had you!" Lee gave a watery chuckle, tears dampening his eyes.

"Not at first, he did not. Everyone was terrified, Kanaye; you must understand, that at one point in his life, no one reached out to him. I…wanted to be there for him; but he did not wish for my friendship. It took a very harsh defeat, given to him by Naruto-kun, for him to realize that there are people out there who could love him, and come to care for him; that he did not have to hate everyone."

His son blinked a few times, and then asked: "But, if he didn't have you -at first-, then when did he have you?"

Lee sat down, finally, and pulled his son to his side, looking out of the balcony window his son had first been looking through. "He had me the moment he realized that, not only did one not have to be feared to be respected, but that he could be forgiven for what he had once been."

His son grimaced. "And that's when you two got all lovey-dovey, I bet." Lee threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh, no; love starts with friendship, Kanaye. For nearly three years, we hardly even spoke to each other, though we held no grudges. Then, we were very loyal, very close friends! We shared our time of youth together!"

His son stuck out his tongue. "Okay, _that's_ when you two got all lovey-dovey. But why was everyone scared of father?" There was a moment of consideration. "And why _didn't_ he want you to be there for him?"

Lee leaned down so that he could brush his lips over his son's forehead. "Remember the tale of the demon tanuki that your sensei told you in class a few days ago? How much it upset you because that demon was sealed within a child who was hated from there on until he was defeated because of being a jinchuuraki? That was your father, Kanaye."

Kanaye didn't look up at his chichi for two whole minutes, and then he stood. Kissing his 'mother' on the cheek, he left. There was something he had to go do.

He ran through the halls, going to a very specific destination; when he arrived in the Kage's office, he dashed towards the redhead sitting in the high-backed chair. The taller man continued to read the papers in front of him, even as he spoke to his child.

"Kanaye, I have told you before to wait till I have gone on break before you-" Gaara's eyes widened in shock as he was party to a hug. His papers held tightly in his hands, he looked down at his son, which prompted him to put the papers down and lay a hand on his Kanaye's head. "Why are you crying?" A sob answered his question, making Gaara's nonexistent eyebrows draw together. "Kanaye."

"I would have loved you!" Gaara blinked in confusion. Picking his child up, he set him on his lap where Kanaye buried his head in the kage robes he was wearing. "It's not fair that everyone hated you! Everyone needs someone to love, even chichi says so!" He curled onto his father's lap, entirely uncaring should anyone come in and see 'second-generation-Gaara' cuddling. If anyone had a problem with him caring for his parents or friends, they could take it up with his sand!

"Who told you?" Gaara asked gravely, one arm loosely holding his son to him. Kanaye was his son; made from Lee's love for him. Damn well _no one _was going to make him cry and get away with it. That aspect went for his lover as well as his son.

"Chichi. He wanted me to know why some people are the way they are, and that all I have to do is be their friend and they'll get better!…I would have been your friend. Me, and Chichi, would have been your best friends! You wouldn't have wanted anyone but us, that's how tight we would have been!"

Gaara studied the top of his son's head for a moment, and then his lip twitched. "I see…you are still so naïve." That made Kanaye look up at him, somewhat angry with that statement.

"That's what chichi told me! And he's never wrong!" Gaara shook his head.

"His judgement is impaired; he would willingly bring a wild animal into our home because it was injured." Then he gently touched the tips of his fingers to his son's cheeks, wiping away Kanaye's tears. "But his wisdom is almost never wrong; listening to him may indeed help you in the future."

Kanaye nodded, laying his head down on his father's chest. There was a long moment of silence as Gaara picked up the papers and began working around his son. His one arm continued to hold his son close while he wrote with his other. It was nearly 10 minutes later when his son spoke again.

"When did you first know that you loved chichi?" He looked up to his father, eyes curious even as his lip twitched downward; a question he had to ask, but really didn't want to.

Gaara hardly paused in his answer. "I am not in love with him." His son looked so angry in that one moment, shoving at his father, that Gaara hardly had time to finish his statement. "What I feel for him is much more powerful than that. Someone can love a pet, a piece of furniture. They can love a lover, a friend; but not all people who are in love with another are willing to do everything within their power to make the other happy. With people in love, there are always limitations; something one of them has learned not to do because it might upset the other, or a secret that is kept." Now he thought about his son's question, having cleared the misunderstanding and calmed the smaller redhead who looked like he didn't understand, but respected it anyway. "…Long before he would have thought, that is for sure. He earned my respect when he nearly defeated me in the chuunin exams; and then I began to obsess over him once I realized that he held no ill feelings toward me. Sometime after that…that would be when I realized that I would do anything for him…"

His son sighed in relief. "You want to know what I love about you, father? You keep your answers simple. With chichi, there's always a story or something really mushy."

Gaara closed his eyes, his mouth again twitching. "You will understand; a few years and you will hardly remember why you thought love was…'mushy'." Kanaye snorted.

"Oh, no I won't! All girls care about is makeup, cute things, and looking pretty! Half of them don't even look pretty, they look ugly! At least Amaya's not insane like they are."

Kanaye leaped off of his father's lap. "Now, I have to go and make sure that my teammates aren't such jerks. If I have to, I'll go Naruto on them!" Gaara's nonexistent eyebrows shot up. Leaving it as it would be, he focused on his work again. The children on Kanaye's team were about to have a very painful lesson if Kanaye meant how Naruto had beaten sense into Gaara…

"So, you realized that you…'obssesed' with me…long before I did?" Gaara did not even look up towards the door where his lover stood.

"Why do you think no one came near you?" He studied one paper before picking up another, comparing them; they were indeed the same report. "There is a certain aura that surrounds a person that warns others that great suffering is the conclusion to any ill-meant attention." He stood and put one report through the shredder. Never, ever throw a report into the garbage; no matter how unimportant they were. Finally, he looked at his 'wife' out of the corner of his eye. "How else could I have seduced you if you were already taken?"

That made the raven-haired man laugh. "Had you wanted me as much as you speak about; my being another relationship would not have stopped you from seducing me."

Gaara turned so that he was facing his lover head-on. "Would you have succumbed? Had you already been another relationship, could I have taken you for my own? Answer truthfully, Lee; I know you would rather die than betray another soul."

Lee smiled softly. "Against my will; I would have fallen for you the moment you kissed me; just like how it really went." He whispered the first part. Pushing himself from the wall, he turned to walk away. "Kanaye is bring his team over for dinner tonight, my red devil, try and act…polite…to them, neh?" He smiled over his shoulder, and then disappeared out of sight.

Gaara watched after him for a moment. Finally, his eyebrows again rose up. "I get no kiss?" He heard laughter from the down the hall; there was a loud whirring sound, his papers fluttered and some flew. He only caught a glimpse of laughing, black eyes, and then he was alone in his office; a warm, tingling sensation left on his lips.

"You better behave, Gaara!"

The redhead smirked. "You know I won't." He heard more laughter, and then he returned to his work. Family was not as foreign a thing as he had once thought…


	8. Do you like my costume?

I HAVE EDITED IT!! Now there are less mistakes and makes more sense. I must have been exhausted when I first wrote this... With special guest: Minamaru, a character my friend created once she had first read this fic, I finally created the Halloween chapter! *claps self on back* Finally. I've been trying to do this for days! I own none of the original Naruto characters; I just feel it's safer to say that every once in a while. Minamaru is owned by my friend, as well as Amaya's nickname. So that leaves me with…the random people and these three man babies…. I'm happy.

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Chouji hummed tunelessly as he finished the homemade hot cocoa- he could honestly not think of a better way to make them- while he chowed down candy corn. His son had kidnapped his BBQ chips, and then gave him Halloween candy, his exact words 'We're going to eat in holiday, got it, mommy?'. He loved his son, he dearly did, but that hadn't stopped him from raiding Jun's room for the missing snack. He had later discovered that Jun had hid them in Amaya's room, and he decided that might be going _too _far to go searching through her room as well. Reluctantly, he stuck to the diet his son had forced him on. Not even Shikamaru had been able to sneak his chips in without his son confiscating them or having Amaya come over and sniff them out. Something was wrong with his son's determination.

"Mommy, is the hot cocoa done yet?" Jun came into the kitchen, dressed as his 'mommy' had looked when he had been a genin: white scarf, head-protector worn ridiculously atop his head, open button-up green shirt worn over a yellow shirt and bandages from his knuckles to a little pass his wrists.

"Almost." Standing side my side, Jun looking like Chouji's mini-me, they munched on the candy corn. When the hot cocoa was poured into ten different cups, they exited the kitchen and went into the next room where their guests were.

Aya, as Amaya had been nicknamed by her three friends- and, yes, there are three now- who was wearing a leather jacket reminiscent of her pup-daddy's, dark-blue jeans with biker boots, had put a helmet on her puppy's head. Wearing dark, round sunglasses she had stolen from her bug-daddy, she was snickering over the disturbed look Naruto had on his face.

Naruto looked from Aya to Kiba, who was snickering just as much as his daughter, and then promptly looked confused. "What's she supposed to be? Hey! I get it now! She's supposed to be you, right?"

Kiba burst out laughing while Aya scowled at Naruto through her humor. "I'm a biker. And what are you supposed to be ramen-dude?"

Naruto smiled proudly. "Teme!"

Aya's face went blank while she tried to hide her laughter. She had taken _something_ up after her bug-daddy, even if it was only a serious face every once in a while. "I…see."

Naruto had gotten the blue down, and had fashioned his hair so that it looked more like the duck-butt fashion that Sasuke had, and then he had either stopped trying, or had decided it was good enough. Aya doubted Sasuke would ever be caught alive in a jumpsuit… or with Naruto's blonde hair either…

"HOT- CHOCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Jun was bombarded by the newer addition to the second-generation group, Minamaru. He stood at least a head taller than Aya, who was the tallest, and had black hair fashioned- and not for Halloween, but just because he had actually wanted to- in Sasuke's hairstyle. He had red eye-contacts in over his natural purple irises, and then nothing else out of the usual. He always wore slightly tight clothing, all's good. "Hey, junk food-buddy, which one's mine?" He peeked through the tray and then grabbed one without an answer, turned to walk away, and then turned back and grabbed a second one. He went back to Kanaye's side, who sat at the couch by his chichi, and handed him the second hot cocoa.

Kanaye was the exact image his father had been when he had been when he was a genin. He had even painted the kanji symbol, 'ai' (love), on his right temple and had a gourd lying against his legs. Apparently, he had asked a jounin from Konoha what would be the scariest thing to dress up as. He had wanted to creep people out and top his team member who had said he would be dressing up as the monster in 'Jeepers Kreepers', an American movie. How it had went was like this:

FLASHBACK----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kanaye: What's the scariest thing you can think of?

Random jounin: Well, I would say the Kazekage when he was a kid. That was the freakiest shit I had ever seen.

Lee: WHO HAS SWORN IN THE PRESENCE OF MY SON?!?!?

Kanaye: Don't mind my chichi, he just knows these things. Why would you say that?

Random jounin, who now has a WTF expression: What the…?…Well, um, I guess it was because of how he would _stare _at everyone, and because of how he just _stood_ there. He could kill anyone in one dead second, boy. I am glad that you didn't have to know him then. Heh, maybe, when you get older, you can meet him as he is today! You'd like that, wouldn't you, kid?

Kanaye:…*glare* First: I'm _Sabaku_ no Kanaye. Second: I'm twelve, not seven. *dangerous rustling as sand rises out of freakin' nowhere* How dare you treat me like I'm stupid. Third: Is this how it looked? *does nothing different from the angry pose he had taken a moment ago when first becoming angry with the incompetent.*

Random jounin: … *nod*

Kanaye: Good.

Lee: Kanaye! Are you speaking kindly with this defender of Konoha?

Kanaye: Of course.

Lee:… Why does he look so terrified?

Kanaye:… I cleared some misunderstandings for him. Chichi, where are father's old clothes? From when he was a genin?

Lee: Ah! I know exactly where those are! Why do you ask?

Kanaye: I know what I'm going to be for Halloween.

END FLASHBACK------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before Jun could call out after Minamaru, he was back, stealing a handful of candy corn from Jun, he grabbed a third cup and ran back to hand it to Lee, and then leaped on the couch and snuggled between the two; Lee laughed and wrapped one arm around his shoulders and Kanaye scowled, but gave no vocal insults as he would have done for anyone who dared come between him and his chichi. His friends had special benefits.

Lee had not changed a thing from his usual attire, aside from an angle traced onto each cheek that looked like were uneven with the top part longer than the bottom. When asked what he had been, the answer obvious, he had been more than happy to scream 'My proud Gai-Sensei! Do I not pull off the part with great ease?'

In the midst of his friends and the children, Chouji actually felt a little under dressed. Somehow, Shikamaru had rubbed his laziness off on him, and both had agreed not to dress up, thinking that not all the other adults would either. They had been _wrong_. Shikamaru was sitting on a pull-out chair beside the couch occupied by Lee, Kanaye, and Minimaru, and then darted over to join the said three.

Not long after, Aya joined them, abandoning her two parents (Shino having not dressed up either, but had been overcame by his daughter and hubby who had drawn with marker all over his outer coat so that there were colorful butterflies and ladybugs everywhere and they had even attempted to draw dogs, but had ultimately failed, he ignored Naruto's snickers and Shikamaru's jabs entirely; Kiba bought dog ears and a dog tail, and then clipped them to himself. He wore a collar and leash with it, Aya having been holding the leash, but then handed it off to her bug-daddy) dragging her puppy with her.

Chouji set the tray down on the table, receiving thanks from Kiba, a nod from Shino, and a clap on the back from Naruto, grabbed his own cup, and then moved to sit beside Shikamaru on the last available spot on the couch. Luckily, the thing was huge. Shikamaru opened his eyes to glance at his 'wifey' and then sighed.

"You're making me get my own cup, aren't you?"

Chouji nodded, not looking at the love of his life and his eyes closed.

"You're angry because I talked you out of dressing up."

This time, Chouji didn't even bother to give a reply.

"You're upset because I didn't let you get the costume you wanted to wear for the party."

As foreign as it was to the two men, having been friends for so many years, and lovers for only a few years shorter of the time, they could fight. There wasn't any yelling, because that was 'troublesome' and because Chouji wasn't even sure if he could yell; growl, yes, get really angry, yes, get really angry at Shikamaru? Who he had adored for so long, he couldn't even remember the first moment he had realized he was in love? Mmmm… not really. Silent treatments worked so much better than arguments, it showed just how well (or not so well) Shikamaru knew him. The most violent fight they had ever had?… Chouji had grabbed Jun and then slept over at Kiba's house, then came back the next day and told Shikamaru he could sleep on the couch; which led to the need for a babysitter, and sharing the bed that night…of course.

"Well then, stop being so troublesome and wear the first one you got. It's still up in our bedroom."

Chouji looked to his dark-haired lover now, a pout on his face as he gave his hubby the puppy-dog look. "But that's supposed to be a surprise! And besides…I don't want to wear that! It would scar the children's minds for life! I didn't want to buy that thing in the first place…" He grumbled the last part, looking sadly downcast.

And it was mostly a lie too, Chouji _had_ wanted to wear that…for his hubby, without the children there. He had known that Shikamaru would love it, and had hid it in the closet behind a few different jutsus, knowing that Shikamaru would respect his privacy. If Chouji went through that much trouble to guard something, Shikamaru knew he was going to see it eventually and that it was important to Chouji for him to be patient. With his high IQ, it would be a lie to say that he didn't usually have it guessed out what it was Chouji was hiding from him by the time it was revealed. Chouji hoped that this wasn't one of those times. He had gone through all of the trouble of going through _woman's _clothing, and not in Halloween stores! He had been terrified, then mortified, and then confused. He could not figure out why women were so bothered with how they looked. In all honesty, the only reason he had done it was because he knew it was a fantasy of Shikamaru's. He could hardly see himself in what he had bought, though he had even tried it out to make sure it was comfortable (and had gotten girls to giggle or look disgusted in the process; those that had looked disgusted had gotten bitched out by the girls giggling, which had made Chouji feel both better about it, and embarrassed by their reactions). He wasn't going to wear that in front of his friends and their children! Definitely not in front of his own child. If Shikamaru hadn't distracted him when he was supposed to have gone out with Kiba to find their own costumes, Chouji would have been wearing that right now! But, nooo, the sexy Nara had to use the advantage of an empty house…

"EARTH TO BIG-DADDY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Chouji jolted, looking at Amaya who was looking at his closely. "What were ya thinking about? You're all red in the face." Then she stuck out her tongue, turned her face away, and scrunched her face in disgust. "If it's anything you and shadow-boy over there had been doing, I don't want to know!"

Chouji choked. "Well, of course no-…Well not… What did you want, Amaya?"

Aya smirked, her puppy following her antics and showing off pointed teeth in her own version of a smirk. She had a bag of something in her lazily swinging arm, tipping herself back and forth in some excitement Chouji couldn't understand. "Oki needs water, can you help us get her some please?"

Confused, but unsuspecting, he rose from the couch and followed Aya into the kitchen again. Taking a bowl, he turned the sink faucet on and poured cold water into it. There was a crumpling sound from behind him, most likely Aya taking something out of the plastic bag she had been holding, and Chouji ignored it. Turning around, about to give it to Oki, he stopped, mouth dropping open. The bowl almost fell out of his hands and his face burned red.

"How did you get through the jutsus!?" The shrill whine caused Naruto to peek through the open doorway, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Luckily, Aya had tucked herself around the embarrassing object, so it could not be seen from where Naruto was standing. He scowled.

"What's going on in here?"

Chouji shook his head furiously. "Nothing, can you go back and tell Shikamaru to get his lazy butt up and grab his cocoa before Jun does?" Naruto, ignorant of things like the fact that Chouji was red and Aya was shaking from her laughter, Oki with her tail thumping in joy, shrugged and went back into the living room.

Chouji turned back to look down at Aya who held the clothing back up, enjoyment and laughter dancing in her eyes. "I believe you were going to wear this?"

Chouji shook his head. "No." He squeaked. Aya pouted, some of the happiness dying out.

"Why not?" She whined.

Chouji was shocked that she had to ask. "Are you looking at that? Amaya, I would die before the night was over with how much everyone would be laughing at me! It was meant to be a surprise, alright?" Aya rose an eyebrow at him.

"And then you lost the guts, right?" Chouji grumbled and Aya took that as a yes. "Well, luckily for you, I found this yesterday while I was raiding your closet and decided that I didn't want there to be any secrets between us when I came to the jutsus guarding the drawer this was in and broke through them! Come with me, child, come with me…" She stuffed the clothing back into the bag, which made Chouji realize there was something else in there too. Walking through the living room, she called out to Lee, who looked at her with understanding and stood up, leaving the three children still on the couch, and then walked with them to the stairs, Aya grabbing Kiba on the way. She turned back to her three friends, her face serious as they all began to start shaking with laughter, even Kanaye. Shino and Shikamaru were looking at them with distrust. (Well, Chouji wasn't so sure if Shino was, but he was led to believe so), while Naruto put his hands behind his head and looked at them through slit eyes.

"Mah, what are you guys doing."

"Kanaye." He stood. "Jun" He was laughing so hard, he nearly fell forward when he stood as well. "Minamaru." He looked as if he was being possessed by a demon of wicked intentions. "Stand guard while I make the mommies smexy!:"

There was a moment where Chouji had no idea what to say to that, and where all three men still in the living room seemed to sink into a very thick silence. Before anyone could comment, Jun, Minamaru, and Kanaye were blocking the stairs and Chouji was prisoner in his own room, Lee and Kiba looking smug, Aya and Oki looking pleased, and himself terrified. This could only be bad…

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Gaara was nearly snarling as he walked to the front door of the Naru-Akimichi household. The meeting with Lady Tsunade had been shorter then he had believed it would be, but it had been much more trying then it should have been too. Scum from the rain country had actually gotten pardoned to leave for home, what kind of bullshit was that? The Hokage was being much too lenient and short-sighted in his opinion, but it seemed that he was the only one with that opinion too.

He didn't knock, he opened the door slowly, giving a feeling as if he had slammed it open so that it made a whole in the wall and then began murdering everyone within, walked down the hall to the living room, and then paused. He couldn't think of why his son and two of his friends were standing in front of the staircase leading to the second floor, nor could he guess why shadow-nin looked annoyed, and the bug-user tense. Naruto grumbling curses and kicking at the floor could mean anything. Naruto looked to him.

"Hey, Gaara! I thought you weren't going to make it."

Gaara took a subtle, deep breath, and then let it out. "I didn't either."

"He got away, I guess… how troublesome. What rain-nin want to go back to their country anyway? Have you thought about it as him getting killed the moment he steps through his own border?" Then Shikamaru looked at Gaara's face of blank fury, doing some more calculation. "He's not going back to his country."

Gaara shook his head. "Your kage wants to tag him back to Orochimaru. He'll be killed before he gets there as well. I doubt Orochimaru would allow him back, he's just another pawn in the game of his."

Then he looked to his son, blinked once when he finally took in the costume his son was wearing. "Why are you me?"

Kanaye smirked. "I asked a jounin what he thought the scariest thing in the world was, and he said you when you were a kid. It worked great when we went trick-or-treating."

Gaara nodded, sure that it had worked. Despite the alliance, he doubted anyone wanted a reminder about him during the chounin exams, or the chounin exams at all. "Why are you sitting there?"

"My dog-buddy is working with the 'mommies'. We have to make sure that none of you get up there." The newest of Kanaye's friends answered, his eyes strangely red. Gaara had thought they were purple, but he could hardly say that he cared either way.

"And the suspense is killing me!…Hey, wait a minute! Gaaara, can't you do that eye thing and look into their room?"

"Tsch, Naruto, you don't honestly think he would do something as petty as that, do you?" Shikamaru asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, yeah!"

Shino stirred from where he had been resting against the wall, catching Gaara's attention. He had a moment where he could have asked why there were bugs and mutated dogs all over his coat, but he passed it up, already knowing the answer. Kanaye and Lee would have done the same thing to his gourd, if not with different symbols, had he not already known they were going to try, as they had every year.

"Be patient, they shouldn't be much longer. No, I will not use the kikaichu to look, either, Naruto."

Naruto humphed, crossing his arms over his head as he started grumbling again.

Gaara shut his eyes and rubbed at his temples, wandering why the _hell_ he had bothered to come here, when a call came down the stairs.

"Okay, we're ready!" A bark accompanied the words, and he was being pushed insistently to the couch next to where shikamaru sat. Minamaru grabbed Naruto and shoved him till he was sitting beside him.

At the bottom of the staircase appeared Amaya and her dog. He had this feeling that this may turn out to be something very _bad_, what with the smirk on her face and the dogs gasping laughter. It should have been anatomically impossible for dogs to laugh, but both dogs were doing so, the older dog-nin's dog lying on the carpet beside the table situated close to the couch and chairs.

"And I present to you men…pretty ladies!"

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"No, you can't make me do this!" Chouji begged-whispered, his eyes as large as he could make them in the cutest pout he could manage. It worked on Shikamaru, damn it, why didn't it work on them too?

Lee chuckled, eyes closed in amusement. "But, Chouji-kun! This shall raise your self-esteem! Shikamaru-san shall surely grovel at your feet with how beautiful you appear."

Indeed, He had been _literally_ forced into the dress he had bought. It was in layers, the first one ruffling after shaping over the breasts (which horrified him, because the cup-size for the dress was the same size as his man-boobs) and the last layer reaching his knees. The dress itself was red, spaghetti straps holding it up and the with a halter-top style. He had bought a white, jean-like coat with the back of it reaching the small of his back and the sleeves just over his wrists, so that he could hide the meatiness of his shoulders. He had been amazed, looking in the mirror before being dragged out of his bedroom, how his legs appeared smooth. Despite the fact that he was overweight, the skin was taught with no strain lines or ripples showing on them. He could have sworn that the fat would have made his legs look wobbly, but it was as if the thing that made all akamichis what they were, also made them smooth. He had brown eye-liner on, mixing nicely with the red eyeshadow. Lip gloss on his lips. He hadn't wanted to makeup on, damn it! Just the dress, and only for Shikamaru...

Lee, who had shocked both Kiba and himself, had also put a red dress out of Aya's 'bag of doom', as Chouji had begun to call it, instead of something green. Unlike Chouji, he had heels to go with it…very high heels. So, his dress that was as form-fitting as his spandex and reached only thighs, falling inches short of his knees, was held up by straps as thick as those on wife-beaters. He had been the first one to put makeup on, which had forced Chouji to put some on because he refused to let his friends go through all the trouble of helping him feel less uncomfortable, and still be the most under dressed person among them. He had put black lipstick on, as well as red eyeliner, and black eyeshadow. He did put fishnets on, causing Chouji to nearly die. Lee was horrified of dirtying his son's mind, so why was he doing _this_?! Apparently, he refused to not go all out. That was what had forced Chouji to also put on stockings Amaya had brought for him. He hadn't planned to go _that_ far with it… Not done yet, he then ruffled his hair and put hairspray in it so that it would remain to look wild. Chouji, against his will, had to admit that Lee made a very good woman.

"I can't wait till my buggy-boy sees this! It'll kill him." Kiba was practically rubbing his hands together he was so overjoyed.

Kiba had, instead of a dress, put on a black, leather skirt that was even shorter than Lee's dress. To go with it, a black, spaghetti-strap shirt had been placed over his chest, wearing a bra under it so it would appear that he had breasts. Over the shirt, he wore a leather vest. His hair had been ruffled to one side of his head, giving him a wild look, and then he wore a dangling earring in his right ear, a feather at the end of it, and a hoop in the other ear. He had put lip gloss on and then auburn eyeshadow with black eyeliner over his eyes. Instead of heels (like Lee), or going shoeless (like him), he wore biker boots that went to just below his knees, wearing no stockings.

Honestly? Chouji had no idea why his two friends were dressed like hookers. He had just wanted to wear a dress for his husband! Not turn this into a grand affair! He hadn't even known Lee would be willing to do something like this; Kiba…well, that he could believe.

Listening to Amaya call them out, he nearly knocked Kiba down the stairs in his attempted escape back upstairs. Unfortunately, he was grabbed by Lee before he could even attempt to shove him, and pulled against his will down the stairs.

"No, why are you all so cruel?" And then a horrifying thought occurred to him: he could fight them, if he was okay with destroying his house in the process, but he would lose. He had left his pills upstairs, and wouldn't be able to get them unless he could get Lee to leave…damn it. "I'm begging you, let me go! Lee, please, this is so embarrassing! Oh, come on, Lee!" They were coming closer to the last step. If it would have gotten him out of it, he would have tripped himself, but that would have just brought the disaster closer. "Think about the children! Look at us, do we look appropriate? Lee?"

He smiled at him, giggling a bit. "Oh, it was the children who helped us choose these feminine costumes!"

Kiba snickered from behind Lee. "Yep, so you can beg and scream all you want, but you ain't getting out of this. We're already dressed!" With that, he reached around Lee, and they both shoved Chouji into the light at the bottom of the stairs, right into the view of everyone.

For a few seconds, he stared like a deer caught in the headlights, everyone staring at him with either slack jaws or stillness. He gulped and tried to scurry backwards, and was shoved forward again. Behind him, Lee and Kiba had ascended the last step as well, proud expressions on both of their faces.

Shikamaru's jaw slacked, causing the cigarette he had just been about to light to fall into his lap, lighter still held up in one hand. Had he not been the lazy, shameless bastard he was, he would have shifted in his seat to attempt to hide his growing problem from the rest of the people in his home. Without even bothering to look, he knew he wasn't the only one. Damn, he must have been a saint in a past life to get something like this. Had there ever been anything more sexy in the world? Mentally going through the statistics, he decided that, no, there wasn't. And the blush on Chouji's face…despite the sinful red of his dress and the shortness, he looked like a virgin all over again. That could possibly be accented by the white jacket and long, brown hair. But the blush brought it all together. It was the horror that made him want to stand and go with option 1 that was, to this day since they had first became lovers, the most potent in calming his lover. The problem with that would be the beating he would receive for doing it in front of the children. So, all he could do was stare, and focus and what he was planning to do.

Shino was sure that there was something dangerous with how his lover was looking at him. The way he was dressed was making it hard enough for Shino to just stand there, how he was licking his lips and just watching him like he was being overpowered by dog instincts. He was having very graphic images of what he planned to do to his dog-lover once he managed to get them out of the presence of others; making it to their bedroom hardly mattered at the moment.

Gaara could hardly say that they entire day had been against him. Clearly, some god that had long abandoned him had finally decided to gift him with this sight. His lover turned to him, lights dancing in his eyes as he smiled brilliantly, a gasp escaping his lips. Lee cupped his hands together over his heart, his body almost shaking in the tight red dress in his excitement and happiness.

"Gaara! You came! I thought you would not make it-…"

Unable to deny himself, he had stood and claimed his 'wife's' painted lips, running one hand over the new texture of the short thing he wore. He was used to Lee's spandex, but this felt nice as well.

A chorus of 'ews' sounded out from two of the four children; Minimaru was swing one arm in the air, cheering them on, while Kanaye watched passively. Aya once again placed her hands over her puppy's eyes, and then leaned to the side so that she was also blocking Akamaru's view. No dog should be forced to see this.

At one point, Shikamaru did the math and came to the conclusion that grabbing Chouji and having sex with him now, while he was dressed like this, would be more fulfilling then waiting till tonight when Chouji was exhausted and had long since abandoned the costume. With no second thought, he stood up and grabbed onto Chouji's jacket before he could flee, quickly doing the transportation jutsu.

"Thanks for watching Jun, Naruto." And then they were gone, Shikamaru not wanting to have sex in their house with so many people there. Their cloud-gazing spot would do just fine from the top of the building where they had first became friends…

Breaking from the kiss, he wrapped one arm around his furiously-blushing lover. Turning blue-green eyes to Naruto, Gaara also nodded in thanks, that being all he said before sand enveloped both of them. The last sight they had of them was Lee blowing a kiss towards the children, and then they were gone, not a sign that they had been there anywhere to be seen.

Kiba walked to Shino, smirking as he looked up into hidden eyes. Shino made no movement, but a moment later they were already gone, Shino telling Naruto he would pick up Amaya tomorrow. Kiba called out thanks, and then Naruto was alone with four children.

Naruto was still staring in horror, just unable to believe this. How come none of them had done the sexy no jutsu? It would have been way easier, and way sexier! Why hadn't they asked him to join? Damn it, he felt left out, especially since teme had refused to abort the mission he was on just so he could make it on time to a Halloween party. And now he was alone with four demon children! The worst part?

"You bastards!" He screamed into empty air that had once been his friends. "None of you said 'Happy Halloween'!"

"Happy Halloween!" He glared at Minamaru and Amaya, both giggling in their amusement. Jun was busy finishing off his dad's untouched hot cocoa to say it with his two other friends, and Kanaye was smirking.

"I hate all of you." Naruto growled.

"Love you!" Even Jun chorused with the other two, Kanaye still looking evil as he stared into the spot his parents had disappeared from. Why? Naruto was too creeped out by it to care.

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In a random alley, somewhere close to where the temporary rooms for visiting big-heads was, a patrolling jounin came upon a disturbing sight. He could have sworn that the Kazekage was married to a man, so why was he necking a hooker? He was about to go to his own kage with the news, but was caught in a deadly blue gaze before he could leap from his place atop the building overlooking the two. The redhead snarled at him, causing the random jounin to flinch backwards.

"G-Gaara, wh-…" He met a pair of black eyes, large and round, and realized something…

_Oh_…that _is _Kazekage's husband… He bowed, nearly falling from his perch to the ground below, his face nearly as red as the Kage's wife-…um, husband. He muttered an apology and then disappeared quickly. This was one of those reasons why he hated Halloween.

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:P Not how I originally planned it, and kind of off track. But, yep, this is my Halloween chapter. Please review and tell me what you thi**nk.**


	9. Hello Minamaru!

O.o oh…wow, this is the longest I have gone without updating. Then again, that was a violent writer's block -.-; . So, this shall (hopefully) be the first of two updates I make to this story. I was listening to my friend (the one and only who had created Minamaru), and decided that I had to introduce him more to you so it seemed less random. I decided to do a few moments in the life of Minamaru, so yes, it is going to be choppy. Instead of doing how most do, I'm going to post it one chapter. If this goes as planned, I will start with the first moment Minamaru met our man-baby trio, and then work my way to an agreeable point. I hope ya'll enjoy! NOTE TO THE CREATOR OF MINAMARU: I am going to have to change (somewhat) what you planned, because the playground was in Konoha, not Suna. You understand what I mean.

* * *

AGE 6 (Bugdaddy! Pupdaddy!)

Light purple eyes watched from the swing set only feet away from the other four children. He slowly pushed himself back and forth with the tip of his shoe, a pout on his pale face. He wanted to do what that other kid was doing; getting a ride on the floating sand thing. He turned his gaze from the redhead to the other two. Watching as the smaller boy with his hair pulled back in a strained ponytail finally pulled a bag of chips out of the sand made him hungry…and he had always wanted a puppy. The one that girl had looked like a wolf cub.

With no more thought needed, he stood up from the swing and walked confidently towards them, his black hair getting gently ruffled by the small breeze. He stood before the girl first, who looked up at him with one weary eye, the other shut seeing as he was standing in direct sunlight. With her attention on him, the smaller boy with almond eyes also looked to him, munching on his snack thoughtfully as he gave the purple-eyed boy a once-over.

Looking from one to the other, the black-haired boy finally looked away to connect eyes with the redhead, who looked at him with a clear expression of 'you do not belong here', and smiled. Stepping over the unconscious form of the mother, he waved energetically at the small group.

"Hi! My name is Minamaru!"

The girl the redhead had been playing with dropped 2 feet to the ground, causing the two adults at the edge of the playground to start screaming again. Minamaru ignored it, focused on the three kids (and one dog) he planned on being friends with. He also ignored the fact that he had now heard the redhead's name twice. It didn't count unless he heard it from the boy himself.

"What's all your names?"

* * *

AGE 6 (two days later)

Minamaru waved goodbye to Jun and Amaya, his eyes alight with joy. When they were out of sight, his smile died, but only the tiniest bit; Kanaye was still watching him, his eyes much to wise. Minamaru turned to him.

"I turn here; I'll see ya'll tomorrow, kay?" Because he could not remember another time when he had ever had so much fun.

The redhead shook his head. "Tomorrow, we all go to my home because my father's business will be done by then."

Minamaru's shoulders slumped slightly. "Oh…who's your daddy?" In the two days he had known the other, he had never thought to ask. He had kind of forgotten that they wouldn't be staying… Kanaye's eyebrow shot up.

"My father is the Kazekage of the Wind Country." Minamaru's eyebrows drew together in confusion, lost to the fact he was supposed to be either impressed or afraid.

"Okay, but what's his name?" Kanaye blinked once in surprise, but then mentally shrugged it off… how someone did not know who the Kazekage was, he did not know.

"Sabaku no Gaara".

Now Minamaru blinked in surprise. "Oh, I've heard of him…" Then he smiled. "Well, see ya when you get back, then!" He turned away, about to walk back 'home'. He managed three steps before he was stopped, something grabbing his ankle. Looking down, it was sand.

"Where do you live?" Minamaru looked curiously over his shoulder. "I live at the orphanage for now, why?"

The other's eyes seemed to spark a bit, causing Minamaru to pout in confusion.

"You're coming with me." He quickly learned he had no choice in the matter, even though he was just fine with it, because he was physically lifted off the ground by a cloud of sand that appeared out of nowhere.

Regardless, he glowered, staring holes into the back of the redhead's skull. "Why am I going with you?"

"My chichi will be more than happy to adopt you…" He heard the other snort, he was almost positive he also heard the other roll his eyes; but he wasn't quite sure, the other not facing him as he walked down the street, Minamaru floating behind him. "As if I would let someone who Jun and Amaya named a friend live in an orphanage. They would never let me live it down."

Minamaru pouted again. "Well, what if I don't want your chichi to adopt me?" He stuck his tongue out, his face set in an 'eww' expression. "Your chichi's the kage of a country. I'd like to know a little love, thank you very much." The redhead turned his head slightly over his shoulder to glare at the purple-eyed boy.

"My father is the kage of a country. And he only has trouble showing affection, not giving it. My chichi, on the other hand, is very loving."

Minamaru raised an eyebrow, his mouth slightly open in confusion. "Does your father have a messed up personality?"

"No, I just have two dads." He stopped now, and turned his body sideway so as to glare better at the captured boy. "Do you have a problem with that."

Minamaru blinked, thought about it, and then there was an explosion as sand was kicked outward by the younger boy. Kanage blinked in surprise, and then was party to a bear hug, a scowl on his face as he attempted to shove the other child away. Minamaru had the widest grin on his face, his eyes happy and his body shaking, he was so excited.

"I can't wait till we get there! What's your chichi like? Is he really girly? Or does he just bottom?-" At that Kanaye gave him a 'what the hell?' look, and successfully shoved the other away.

"I'm only doing this because Amaya and Jun would be angry at me for leaving you behind." Minamaru smirked.

"Nope, you're doing this 'cause you would miss me too!" He glomped the other boy again. "You're my best friend, Kanaye!"

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AGE 9 (Sometime after 'Our Past is our Present')

'Come on, come on…fall asleep already!'

Velvet purple eyes watched with great impatience as the green-clad jounin finally rested himself down on the couch in the living room of the Kazekage residence. He had preplanned this prank for nearly two weeks. Going about it slowly, and smoothly so no one would catch on. It had taken two weeks because his raccoon-daddy (Gaara) had hardly left his mommy's (Lee) side for the week Minamaru had been ready.

After the adoption into the Sabaku family, Minamaru had moved with them to Suna, having had to take a few tests to do so. He had very quickly gotten used to his new surroundings and new family. Amaya and Jun came over every so often, or they went to Konoha to see them. Lee had turned out to be a big softy, which had caused Minamaru to comment and say 'He's a woman trapped in a man's body. Quick! Let's get her out of there!'. He and Lee had been the only ones to find that funny. After that, Lee had turned into 'Mommy', and Gaara into 'Raccoon-Daddy'. Minamaru was comfortable in his new life, and all he had to do was turn around and there his best friend would be! He was taller than Kanaye, had been for a few years, despite the other being three years older. He was actually taller than all of them…

Finally, his mommy drifted off, Minamaru could tell because of how still he went and his slightly open mouth, and that was when he struck. Very quietly slipping off the chair he had been 'innocently' sitting at, he pulled the comb out of the 'inconspicuous' bag tied around his slim waist. He lifted the bucket of water off the ground that had been situated at his feet and hefted it over to the side of the couch, silently cackling as he looked down at his prey. For a few minutes, he just stroked the other's hair with the comb, waiting for the other's reflexes to stop trying to defend the other in his sleep. When that happened, he clapped both of his hands together and rubbed them, his smirk so big, it looked as if it could start running off of his face. He took the bucket of water, and dumped it on Lee's head; but slowly and methodically, careful not to get it any further than the other's hairline. When his mommy first became tense, hands rising slightly, he stopped, waiting till the other calmed again and began quietly snoring. Then he continued.

His mommy's hair thoroughly soaked, Minamaru took the red hair dye out of his bag, unable to keep his cackling quiet anymore. He took out the thin, long brush that came with the kit and did as the box directed, then began applying it to Lee's formerly black hair. The whole time he was doing so, he was having the most difficult time not messing up, his chest heaving in an attempt to not start outright laughing.

Down to the last strand of raven-black hair, his hands were tinted red from the dye, streaks of it on his face from where he had rubbed at it.

"Oooh, you are going to look so hot, Mommy. Raccoon-daddy just won't know what to do with himself." He cackled again, so absorbed in what he was doing, he missed the sound of the front door opening from down the hall leading into the living room.

Apparently, whoever had just entered had heard him cackling though. Had Minamaru tried to sense for any approaching chakra just then, he would have felt nothing; had he tried to listen, he would have heard nothing. His two guests were closing in, and he had no idea.

"Ahem." Minamaru froze, smile fidgetting. Very slowly, he looked up to the two Sabaku males standing in the doorway. The older one was looking at him with a _too _calm expression, while Kanaye shook his head, both of them had their arms crossed over their chests.

Minamaru through the dye over his shoulder, his facial expression radiating innocence as he gave the two an open-mouthed smile, waving his hand in greeting. "Hi guys! You would never guess what just happened!" He gestured to Lee's hair, his eyes shocked. "Someone came in and died Mommy's hair red! Can you believe that?"

Kanaye sighed, moving forward first. He grabbed Minamaru's hand and put it in the raven-haired boy's face. "We just caught you red-handed." Kanaye shook his head regretfully. "I almost thought you were going to last…"

Minamaru just barely ripped his hand out of Kanaye's grip and jumped back just enough that he avoided the older redhead's attack of sand.

Minamaru." His raccoon-daddy growled, his hand clenched in front of him, the knuckles facing said boy. "Run." No more was needed before Minamaru disappeared entirely from the house, Gaara only feet behind him.

Lee started awake, supporting himself on one elbow on the couch as he ran the other one through his air. He looked to his son blearily.

"Did I miss something?" Kanaye nodded, and Lee looked away thoughtfully, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Oh…" He frowned, his lip turning up in a grimace as he pulled his hand out of his hair and stared at it. After a moment, his eyes became the size of saucers. "Oh Gods! Why is my hair covered in blood!?!?"

Kanaye patted his chichi's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't ask, chichi…just don't ask… While you're at it, Arun needs your help."

Lee looked at him uncertainly. "What is wrong with ru-ru-kun?"

"Father's trying to kill him."

No second thought, Lee leaped off the couch. "GAARA! DO NOT HURT RU-RU-KUN! HE IS PART OF OUR FAMILY!!!"

Kanaye is allowed to have moments in his life when he wonders why the hell he had the family he had, but he didn't use those moments. He knew why he had the family he had: genetics and luck that was against him, but he didn't complain.

He had been to one of Amaya's family reunions before.

* * *

Mmmmhhh… I could have waited a bit longer, but I was starting to feel useless. Tell me how this fic makes you feel, kay?


	10. May this nightmare never come true

"_Chichi, what's wrong?" I blinked, confused by how my chichi continued to sway, his back to me. After another moment of silence, I become impatient. _

_Reaching forward, I pull on his jounin vest. "Chichi, what is wrong?" I say loudly, thinking this would shake him out of whatever thoughts he is having, or wake him up. _

_I sprint backwards as he falls, a 'thump' sounding as his knees hit the floor of our living room. Now, I am confused, but surprisingly unafraid. I make a sound of irritation. _

"_Fine, you just keep sleeping." I turn to walk away, but was stopped._

"_Kana…Kana…ye…" A warning sounds in my head, something is not right about this. Suspiciously, I turn and look to my chichi, and abruptly fall to my own knees, screaming._

_When I had been facing him, he had been facing away, but he was facing me now for some reason that I did not bother to figure out; I was too horrified and distressed._

"_Chichi, what happened?" Shaking, I stand to my feet and run to his side. In the back of my mind, I know there is nothing I can do, but I am not listening to that part of me; I'm more focused on the part that says that I can still save him, or find someone who can save him. "FATHER!!" I scream, gripping chichi's shoulders and looking frantically around my home._

"_Kana…ye"_

_Where my chichi's heart should have been, a hole had replaced it. Looking through it, I can see the entryway into the greeting room; oddly enough, I do not wonder why I did not see it before. _

"_Kana…ye"_

"_Who did this!? Chichi, who do I have to kill!?" I want to shake him again, I want him to stop looking at me with all of that love and acceptance. It makes me feel like I did something wrong, but he's forgiven me. He smiles a little more, blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth as he lays the hand that had not been gripping at his chest on my brow. When he pulls his hand away, it is covered with blood. I flinch, that had not been there a moment ago. I look into his eyes, so terrified, my lungs were choking on it and my eyes were watering. Somewhere, in the distance, something like a demon was cackling; it had to be a demon, because no thing or person could sound so joyful when my chichi was dying._

"_You…did…" _

_I can not think of anything to say to that, shocked beyond words. I want to scream 'I didn't do anything!', but it wouldn't come. I look down, for reasons I do not know, to see something more terrifying than his missing heart: the heart itself was still bleeding into my palm. His one hand gripping at the hole slides to the ground, his chin coming to rest against his chest as he sighs one last breath. And I realize something, I am the one laughing._

"Kanaye! Kanaye! *SLAP*" With one last scream, I shot up from the bed, chest heaving and eyes darting around the room. Standing over me, Minamaru looks at me as if I have lost my mind. "Hey, are you okay, Kanaye-"

I leap off of the bed and run out of my open door, nearly tripping over the carpet in the hall as I torpedo down it to my parent's room. Slamming the door open, I am still quivering, mind mockingly repeating my nightmare. At the bed, father leans up from his slouched position to stare at me. Lying on his naked chest, chichi continues to quietly snore. Watching him, I nearly begin crying, but I don't. I'm Sabaku no Kanaye, a chuunin, I don't cry… much, I concede as I rub furiously at my eyes and then look back at them.

"Hey, Kanaye, what are you doing looking in on mommy and raccoon-daddy?" Minamaru asks from behind me.

"Kanaye, you are not going to kill Lee." Father says in a solemnly irritated voice. There is a long 'oh' as Minamaru understands, but I shake my head.

"How do you know?" I whisper. At first, I move slowly, and then I scurry up onto the bed and tug at the covers so I can see chichi's chest; father, unwillingly, moved somewhat so I could do so. As all of this is happening, chichi continues to sleep like a rock. With his chest bare, I touch my fingertips to the warm skin covering the ribs and muscles that protected that magnificent heart. "I could…one day. What if I do kill him?"

"Oh come on, Kanaye, you'll never hurt mommy." Minamaru jumped onto the bed, ignoring the glare father gave him as he cuddled onto the other side of chichi. "You'd die for him before you'd rip his heart out. I only see raccoon-daddy doing that."

I take a deep breath in, hold it, and then release it shakily. He has a point, even if it is something that none of us talk about out loud. "But I could be _different_ one day… I could _hate_ him enough to kill him." The thought is so chilling, my own heart becomes heavy and cold like ice.

"Kanaye." I look to my father, unsure if I want to hear what he was going to say, but needing to hear it anyway. "I would protect both you and Lee with my life." I already know this, so I show no signs of caring for it. "If it came down to protecting one of you from the other, Lee would come first."

From the other side of chichi, Minamaru sat up suddenly, eyes wide in disbelief. "What?! What's that!? Mommy would definitely want you to protect Kanaye, even against him! He would die if you killed Kanaye."

As much as I know Minamaru is right, I also know what father is talking about. His eyes are serious and cold upon me, as if he expects me to carry out the deed right now to test his words. I stare back, almost entirely calm as the tension leaves my shoulders and the cold sweat covering me evaporates.

"If it came down to it," I countered. "I would kill you, if that was what chichi wanted." And for long seconds, we test each other with how long we don't back down, just staring. After three minutes of Minamaru grumbling under his breath about 'insane sandy men', I witness the microscopic change that occurs in my fathers eyes: pride.

"Good." He leans back against the headboard and I, despite what anyone else would say about me being a 'momma's' boy, crawl between them so that I lie partially on both of them. I may be chuunin, but my father had a saying: 'If you have a chance for affection, take it and ask no questions.'

I throw one arm over chichi's chest and father puts one hand into his hair. On the other side of chichi, Minamaru tangles his fingers with mine and pushes into chichi's side; his face sad as he stroked chichi's hair with his other hand.

"It's okay, mommy…if any of you have a fall-out, I'll find a family councilor. Or a marriage councilor, which ever you need. I won't be killing anyone." He glares at both of us as chichi continues to snore lightly, oblivious to our conversation. "Unlike some people I know…Kanaye…Raccoon-daddy."

"Arune, go to sleep." Father mutters, his eyes already closed and his body becoming lax. I second the motion, and then allow to sleep overcome me again.

If father says he'll protect chichi, even from me, then there's nothing to be scared of. As long as I protect chichi, even from him, I have something to live for.

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I was writing 'My Forever', and going in-between dreams and reality in that story, and it made me want to do the same thing in this story. It wasn't supposed to be so freaky… though the dream came out how I wanted it to. Well, mpreg fans, tell me how you feel!


	11. On That Same Night

Based off the partially finished chapter that the creator of Minamaru made in her depression of having Gaara ignore Minamaru in the last chapter, I donate this chapter to you, Ridiculously spaced out name Heartless…something, something; you know who you are!

* * *

I listen to their breathing for nearly 20 minutes, making sure that they were all sleeping, and that Kanaye's grip on my hand had loosened enough for me to remove mine from his, before I began the careful process of getting out of the bed. The very first shift I made caused Gaara to stiffen, his darkly-outlined eyes tightening. I held my breath, staring at him for three long moments, before he softened, becoming oblivious again…I hope. The whole process of shifting to a safe enough point that I was able to slip off of the bed without waking anyone up takes five whole minutes.

I tiptoe to the door, only looking back once, but that one time lasted in itself a long time. _They're_ a family… and I'm not part of it. No matter how hard I tried, I just didn't fit into the picture. Mommy tried hard to make me feel welcomed, and my best friend, Kanaye made my day… but Gaara didn't want me here. He ignored me, or he would only grudgingly stay in my company. They're the love and laughter… I'm just the shadow in the backgroud.

I step out into the hall, planning on crawling into my own bed; Mommy would freak if I did anything like sleeping on the roof or somewhere outside the house… Good, green, Mommy… Not three strides away from their door, there is a sound like snakes slithering, and then I am forcefully dragged back into the room, lifted by my ankle into the air when I began to grab at the carpet and take it with me. Dangling in the air, looking into the room I had attempted to abandon, the gourd next to Gaara is pouring out sand, the cork lying on the floor beside it. Gaara himself is glaring at me like he would usually do: as if I did something horribly wrong, and he wasn't allowed to retaliate.

"Where are you going?"

I faked for innocence, smiling widely as I thumbed up at him. "Just to my own room, raccoon-daddy! It was getting crowded in here with your guy's murderous intentions."

We held a staring contest for a small while, both Kanaye and Lee remaining unconscious. When that small while was over, Gaara 'tsched'.

"You and Lee…are too much alike." The sand carried me a few more feet before dropping me unceremoniously onto the bed. I landed with a bounce and a 'flop', and then looked at Gaara with confusion. Reaching over both Lee and Kanaye, Gaara did the most shocking thing ever, and it stopped me from breathing for a moment: he touched my head. _He_ touched _my_ head. _He touched me_! "You will continue to stay here; if Lee wakes up and discovers only one of our children in the bed, he will immediately name me the cause."

I grinned widely, looking up into Gaara's stoic face. "Okay, raccoon-daddy!" I 'thumped' my head into my Mommy's hard stomach, making him twitch, before he calmed again. I curled both hands under my chin and snuggled into his side, and Gaara settled back onto the pillow supporting his back. Right before I fell back into oblivious, a warmth captured my hand, pulling it into another hand.

"My family too…" I smile, tightening my fingers around Kanayes. Across Lees chest, we both snuggle as close together until our foreheads are touching. We fall asleep in that position, peacefully ignorant of everything else. I feel like I'm at home now.

_I'm_ part of _this_ family. Raccoon-Daddy said so.

* * *

How did you like that, Ms. Creator?


	12. When Amaya Became Bored

I was bored, do I need any more reason?

Okay, so maybe hiding behind a door, trying to look like I wasn't there, waiting for someone to come by wasn't so original. But I had a plan in my head. Here was how it was supposed to go:

Scare the hell out of Ru-ru , our newly-adopted little brother (I don't care what anyone says, he belongs to all of us, not just Kanaye's family), _and_ Jun at the same time. Yeah, simple, right? No, it wasn't. Ru-ru just loved to be a little, freaking tall, know-it-all-and-saw-you-there-already.

Here is how it went:

Jun always came by this way at the same time every time he was at my house, looking for more snacks. We made sure to stay stacked on sweets and BBQ things, just for him…okay, that's a lie, the sweet things are for me. But that's beside the point, Jun was going to be walking by soon, and Ru-ru had to walk out of the bathroom any time now. The only thing that was making me jumpy was that the timing might not line up right.

Luckily, right when Oki started to begin growling in irritation at the suspense, the same time I heard the toilet flush, I also heard the 'crunch' of chips being munched on. Perfect. I waited till I could even hear Jun breathing and saw Ru-ru step up to the door, and then-

"HOOOoooowl." Jun had choked on his chips, his fist clenched on the bag. Sadly, that was the only upside to my patience. Ru-ru stood there, looking at me with confusion.

"I don't get it." Of course he hadn't… Nothing scares Ru-ru, so he wouldn't understand that he _supposed _to have been scared.

Annoyed, I had slammed the door right on his ass, putting all of my strength into it so he would trip into the hall, and then stood there pissed for a moment. Opening the door again to see Ru-ru's reaction now, I had paused, unable to believe was I had been seeing. Ru-ru had landed right on top of Jun… in the most amazing of positions.

I had thrown my head back and laughed my ass off, clutching at my side as they began to hurt. At my feet, Oki had laughed in her own little way as well.

"Jun and Ru-ru sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G; first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage."

They separated, Jun flushed red while Ru-ru still looked somewhat confused as he stood up and helped his friend up.

"That's not all, that's not all! Jun is drinking alc-o-hol!"

"Jun is drinking what?" I grinned widely, not surprised at all about Kanaye's sudden appearance.

"Guess who did what!" Before I could say anything more to Kanaye's questioning gaze, a hand had been slapped over my lips.

"Don't you _dare_." Jun had harshly whispered into my ear. I had smirked, cackling evilly. I had decided not to sell him out, but it was good blackmail to hold against him.

Kanaye had scowled at me, arms crossed threateningly over his chest. "How old are you, Aya? Three?"

I laughed. "Nope! I'm thirteen!" I had purposefully held up only seven fingers, Jun holding threateningly to my neck as Ru-ru nearly flew at Kanaye in joy. We both knew that Kanaye and Ru-ru were going to be butt buddies one day, it's only natural that Jun be terrified for his life for stealing Ru-ru's first kiss.

So, all in all, my prank of the day didn't go all that bad. I have blackmail over Jun, something I understand better than Ru-ru, and I know something Kanaye doesn't. Oki and I are going to have loads of fun with this for as long as we can… which could last months to years, I am sure.

Life is good. I can't wait till I tell pup-daddy… I can wait to tell bug-daddy; he wouldn't like my prank so much.


	13. Meaning Behind His Words

Ridiculously spaced out name heartless fairytales, Minamaru is older than 10, and I am (somewhat) sorry. I was too lazy to take him out so soon after putting him in… Eventually, I will have to mention something of what we've spoken of. And, yes, I have adopted one more of your characters. So, readers, please note that I continue to only own Kanaye, Jun, Amaya, one randomly introduced man-baby, and random people. The original characters of Naruto belong to someone (sadly not myself), Minamaru and a character I shall be newly introducing in this chapter belong to ridiculously spaced out name heartless fairytales. In case anyone is confused about the birthday thing, here ya go!

Inuzuka, Amaya: October 3, one month before Jun, 11 months before Kanaye

Nara-Akamichi, Jun: November 13, one month after Amaya

Sabaku, Kanaye: September 2, 10 months after Jun

Minamaru: three years after Kanaye (I need to ask for specific date…)

* * *

Beneath the window the raven-haired man was gazing out of, two boys were training in the stadium of Sunagakure. One was a redhead, throwing intricate and deadly jutsus of sand at the purple-eyed boy that slyly dodged them and attempted to catch the redhead off guard with attacks of glass. After 20 minutes of watching, the raven-haired man sighed in despair, eyes sad and body posture defeated. Behind him, the door silently opened, giving way to a redhead the image of the one the raven-haired man was watching, if not years older and less prone to be expressive. Despite having not made a sound, nor allowed his chakra to be sensed, the redhead was immediately found out.

"Gaara?" The redhead paused in his advance towards the green-clad man, and then continued until he stood by the side of the slouching body.

"Lee…"

"I want to have another baby." There was a long silence as Gaara watched the two teenagers as well. After minutes of thick silence, Lee looked up at Gaara, his eyes wide and somewhat watery. "Gaara… Do you not wish to have another child?"

Gaara blinked, and then looked down into Lee's pleading eyes. "… We have two already, Lee. They still haven't left home-"

"Kanaye is 14, and Ru-ru is 11! They hardly even act as if they need for our wise and youthful guidance any longer! By this time, even I as a child was-"

"-and would be overall jealous of having another child enter the home-"

"They would not be! Ru-ru would be ever so joyful! Kanaye would adore to have another sibling to protect, have you seen how he reaches out to Ru-ru, Aya-kun, and Jun-kun? It is with great love-"

"You nearly died giving birth the first time."

"…" Lee looked away, gazing softly upon his two boys. One of them, he had given birth to, the other he had eagerly taken into his home. Yet… "I wish to feel another life growing in me again, Gaara… It was magical, with Kanaye… Never before had I ever felt so close to another. He was inside me, and I could feel him move… I was nurturing him, I brought him into the beautiful world around us."

"… Lee, I can think of another thing that you experience often that fit that same description." Lee blinked, confused, before he looked at Gaara with his face flushed red and sputtering in an attempt to say something back at the perverted redhead. Before he was successful, Gaara continued. "You still nearly died last time, Lee. I am not taking that same risk again." He looked down at Lee, who dejectedly looked away. He wasn't dumb, he knew Lee was up to something; never before had the obsidian-eyed boy acted so submissive.

"… Yes, but Iruka-sama nearly died as well, yet he is carrying a child! Did you know that he and Kakashi-san already have a name ready? When they had their checkup, they learned that their baby was a boy! Is that not joyful? And Iruka-sama has had no difficulties as of yet! Kiba-kun has already given birth to his second child, and Kouga-chan has turned out to be the most wonderful baby!"

"No." Gaara gripped Lee by the hair, pulling his head up so he could lean down and stare adamantly into the others eyes. "I will not lose you because you desire to feel another living within you again." He released his lover and looked outside to the position of the sun. "I will be out of my meeting in 45 minutes. If you need to feel another move inside you so much, wait for me." Lee meekly nodded, his face drawn down in a heart-broken frown. Gaara brushed a kiss into Lee's black hair, and then walked back out of the door to where Kankuro was waiting for him, scowling.

"Damn, Gaara; you didn't have to be so crude at the end." Kankuro wrapped one hand in the strap holding his puppet scrolls in place. "I honestly think it'd be a good idea to have another tike running around; Kanaye really soothed you out, imagine what another one could do." The other cackled, teasing his brother out. "Hell, another kid just might get you to smile every once in a while."

Gaara studied his brother out of the corner of his eye as they walked down the stairs leading to the first floor that lead them to the outside. From there, they would take their time getting to the meeting; Gaara had a tendency to be late, not because he tried, but because he didn't try. Exiting his front door, Gaara shook his head once, a soft…difference… entering his eyes as he looked up to the window Lee had been looking out of.

"Lee wasn't asking me if I wanted another child because he wanted to try again." He turned to Kankuro. "He asked me if I wanted another child because he _is _pregnant." Kankuro stopped walking, his mouth a gaped, even as Gaara continued on towards their destination.

After staring with blind shock ahead of himself, Kankuro came back to. "What the hell!? Hey, red, how do you know!?" He ran up to his younger brother's side, who did not even bother to look to him.

"… He would have been more adamant in his case if he were asking me. He was attempting to get me to admit that I want I another child in our home."

Kankuro snorted, going back into 'I'm-just-way-too-cool-for-this-talk-thing'. "Yeah, you got that point across." If Kankuro had bothered to look at his younger brother just then, he would have seen the most subtle, near-invisible, quirk of his brother's lips.

"Yes… I did."

Still at the window overlooking his two son's training, Lee was giggling, one hand stroking his abdomen as he rocked back and forth on the wooden chair. After long moments of his joy being the only sound in the room, his space was invaded by two shadows, that quickly turned into two boys.

Standing at the door, Kanaye tilted an eyebrow up and Minamaru began giggling beside his 'mommy'. "How did father like the news of the new addition of the family?" Kanaye asked, stepping fully into the room and leaning his arms against the window sill. Sweat was just drying on his pale skin, Minamaru only faring better in that he had his shirt on.

Lee pressed his caressing hand firmly against his womb, a content smile on his face. "He took fairly well to the idea… He is merely telling me to be extremely careful and not become too cocky."

Minamaru nearly threw himself onto Lee's lap, only stopped by the wave of sand that threw itself up from seemingly nowhere…though fingers would point to the gourd upon Kanaye's back that was similar to his father's. Minamaru pouted upon hitting the ground.

"I wasn't going to hurt the baby!" He hmphed, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. "Why would I hurt Mini-Mommy?" Lee burst out laughing, pulling Minamaru off of the ground and onto his lap as the boy had attempted to do.

"You are calling my child 'Mini-Mommy?'" Minamaru smirked, sticking his tongue out as his lit up.

"Yep, this baby's gonna be a mini-you. Gaara already has his mini-him." Kanaye rolled his eyes, pushing away from the window to instead lean against his chichi's side so he was face to face with his friend. Minamaru smirk grew wider. "Yeah, I'm talking about you." Kanaye's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Minamaru bared his teeth teasingly. "Rawr! I bite yo face!" Kanaye snorted.

Lee put a hand into her sons hair and tousled it softly, rubbing his other hand up and down Minamaru's back. He smiled down at them, making a hope in the back of his mind that his third child was like the two; it would be wonderful if that were to happen…

Kanaye gazed up at his chichi. "No, seriously, do you have a name picked out?" Lee hmed for a minute, and then shook his head regretfully.

"It is too soon to even tell if the baby is a boy or girl."

"Well, think of some, than!" Lee considered it, then shook his head again, laughing softly.

"Did you know…that we did not even have a name thought up for Kanaye until Gaara held him for the first time?"

"And then it occurred to you to name me after 'zealous one', right?" Kanaye stated dryly. Lee smiled secretly, slowly shaking his head no as he looked out of his window and watched his husband disappear beyond sight.

"No…that is when your _father_ decided to name you after 'zealous one'." Minamaru burst out laughing at Kanaye's sour expression.

"That…can't be right. You let father name me? What if he had decided to name me… Yuuki, or something else equally depressing?"

"Yeah" Minamaru snickered. "You should have let Kiba name him; he would have known what would suit him. After all, he named Aya 'night rain'."

Lee snickered as well, putting his large grin behind one hand as his shoulders quaked. "Why ever do such a thing as that? Clearly, it is Chouji-kun who is an expert at naming children correctly!"

Kanaye's eyes widened, and then he smirked. "Chichi, I have never before heard you say something so cruel." Lee held up a finger and shook it.

"Not cruel, my youthful lotus! The truth; Jun is as obedient and pure as his name claims him to be!" After a few more giggles and chuckles, Minamaru quirked a questioning brow at his 'mommy'.

"What did whitey-dude and Teach name their baby?" Lee hmmed as he rocked himself, one hand stroking Kanaye's red locks, the other carefully scratching Minamarus back.

"Makato… A beautiful name, is it not?"

At the meeting between the Kazekage and Tsuchikage, Gaara could hardly be bothered with the bullshit the other kage was spouting, though he kept listening to him anyway; he wasn't Kazekage for no reason. So, he put input where he needed, glared when it called for it, and made sure to be stony cold and just _stare _until the other man became nothing more than a stuttering child. Inwardly, he was wondering…will this child finally be the mirror image of his lover and husband?


	14. Damn you morning sickness!

"OOooooh." Lee held onto his swollen abdomen , face twisted into a mask of discomfort. Leaning over the toilet, he was just reminded of the downfall of all pregnancies: morning sickness, which, ironically, happened all through the day and not just morning.

"Chichi, you've been in their for 3 hours! Get out!" Lee weakly shook his head, feeling the familiar rise of vomit that, a moment later, abated without actually throwing it up.

"My blossoming lotus, I have yet to throw up!"

"If it's not going to happen now, then try later… after I don't have to go!"

"Kanaye! Be nice to mommy, he's pregnant and having morning sickness!" Minamaru's voice sounded from outside the door with Kanaye. Lee groaned again and rested his head against the toilet seat.

"It's 5 in the afternoon. Why is it called morning sickness if it's not even morning?"

"You're the older one, you tell me!"

"Hush, please! I must concentrate if I am to leave behind this bodily torture!" Determined, Lee gripped the toilet between two hands and then stared focused into the water it held. "If I do not clear myself of these things that displeasure my unborn child, I shall subject myself to eating only asparagus as a snack!" He gave himself the 'good guy pose', even as he shuddered, his stomach bottoming out. Ever since he had became pregnant with this child, asparagus had became it's own nightmare.

"Hey, is this the new gathering place? Seems popular…" "Bark!" Lee whimpered, dropping his head hopelessly at the voices of Amaya and Oki. He loved children, he adored them… but he was having difficulty standing, much less making sure that the second generation of their combined families did not destroy the Kage's temporarily home while in Konoha…again. Lady Tsunade was becoming extremely impatient with the number of damages she had had to repair on their behalf.

Why, oh why, had he agreed to watch over the children for the day? The _full_ day? At 15 years of age, Amaya and Jun were capable of keeping an eye out for themselves, Kanaye at 14 was more than capable, and Minamaru at 12 was… a questionable case, but still left on his own at some points. Sadly, those four children placed into the same room did _not _make for a stable building.

There was a crunching sound from outside of the door. "Why's everyone here?"

"Didn't you know?" Amaya's teasing voice came. "This is the place to be!" A bark of agreement accompanied his words.

"…Why?"

"I have to take a piss."

Lee choked around the nausea he was feeling. "Kanaye! Do not curse, it is unyouthful!" He managed to croak, holding his bulging womb.

"Oh, if that's all, why the hell are we all hanging around here?" There was a 'thunk' as Lee's head met toilet seat. He knew Amaya had done that on purpose: swearing.

"Aya, didn't you hear Kanaye's and Arun's daddy? Don't swear!" There was a noise of plastic bag meeting a solid object, and then a 'hey!' from the victim of being hit with a bag of chips.

"Just call him 'green daddy'! It makes everything easier… you evil little fawn…" A gasp of insult and Minamaru's loud 'oh!'. Lee's head met the toilet seat a second time. "Yeah, you heard me!"

"Flea-bitten pup!"

"You did not just go there!"

"Oh, he just went there."

"All of you, grow up!"

Outside of the door, Lee listened to the war commence. His face green, he dropped it into the ring of the seat, and let it loose. It helped that he could see Lady Tsunade's expression and reaction when she saw yet another destroyed home.

* * *

Around the front of the temporary home, the door opened slowly. Stepping through the opened doorway, the redhead looked about, and did nothing but stare for a whole two minutes. He should have known from the outside, he should have foreseen such a thing as this. Unfortunately, he had not seen this, and had suffered the consequences. It was shocking, really, that he had not seen it from outside, the destruction that had occurred.

Either a wall had a hole in it, or was the hole. There was no furniture left, there were sticks and stuffing tossed carelessly about the place. Stairs that led to the second floor, he learned as he finally stepped fully within and begun to explore in detail, were missing steps, or were broken in. The stair rail had been forcefully pulled out of the wall, as could be told by it's missing appearance and the random pieces of plaster strewn across the stairs and upper floor.

"Aya-chan, hold still." He tilted his head towards the soft, exasperated voice, and then followed it up to the restroom.

"Mino, you bastard… You hit Oki." There was an animalistic whine, and then a 'humph'.

"He jumped me!"

"He did no such thing!"

"There shall be no more destruction within this household!… I doubt it can take much more…" There was a snapping sound, and a loud exclamation of alarm.

"Holy Guacamole!" Came the shocked voice of the shadow-user.

"The floor gave in!" Minamaru said in horror.

"No shit, Sherlock." Kanaye's voice could be heard with dry annoyance. "I'm the one who fell through it."

There was a pause in conversation.

"…Gaara, please help me." Lee's voice traveled to the redhead who stood at the top step. With no complaint, he walked calmly into a room that had once had a toilet, but now had a stump of thick, white glass and water-soaked floors. Clustered around the sink, Jun and Amaya were being bandaged, Kanaye was half-way through the floor and using his own sand to assist him back to a standing position, and Minamaru was pouting, sporting a few bruises and scrapes himself.

Upon his entrance, the grass-green of Amaya's eyes glared at him, as if he had some terrible connection to all of this; Kanaye's obsidian eyes closed as he shook his head in a 'don't ask' fashion; finally lending him a hand, Minamaru helped Kanaye out of the hole in the ground and waved animatedly to Gaara, a wide smile on his face. Out of all of this, Jun was the only one who was looking down at the floor with a 'why does this happen?' look about his face. Lee, body tense with weariness and eyes drooped with lack of sleep, turned to Gaara with a small smile and a chuckle.

"Can you not hear Hokage-sama screaming already?" With no change of expression, Gaara grabbed some medical wrap from Lee, and then wound it around a long, deep cut along Jun's arm after disinfecting it. Washing the rag Lee handed him, he washed away the grime and dirt upon a wicked looking cut on Minamaru's back. After three minutes of slowly repairing the children, he stood and stared down at all of them. Lee looked up expectantly, finishing up splinting the large paw of Oki that had landed in glass and splinters.

"If this house does not clear of all of you in 32 seconds, I will use force." Five pairs of eyes blinked up at him until, Jun having turned right around and dashed down the hall and out of the door, when Minamaru raised his hand.

"Does that include me, red, and mommy?" 17 seconds later, he, as well as one dog and two other children were tossed carelessly out of the window.

"Gaara! How dare you, I was trusted with them, to keep them safe and sound! How dare you… How dare you… throw them out of the window!" The last part was wailed, Lee burying his head into his hands. "Lady Tsunade is going to punish us because I again failed to keep the children from destroying another home! Gai-Sensei is going to be so displeased with me and how I was not capable of even babysitting! You must be so… disgusted with me!"

Gaara sighed, and then petted Lee's black hair, putting Lee's head against his stomach so that the pregnant man could have something to lean against. "Lee, don't let hormones speak for you; it's unbecoming of you."

The raven-haired boy sobbed. "I- I know! But I ca-can not stop!"

Gaara continued to stroke his hair. "That's alright, Lee; just try to do it less often…" Against his hip, Lee hiccupped, and then nodded.

"Y-Yosh!" He leaned just far enough to wipe at his face with the sleeve of the same green maternity sweater he had worn with kanaye, and then smiled watery. "If I can not hold my tears unless it is truly necessary, I shall eat nothing but Jun-kun's chips as a snack!" He even gave the thumbs up to enforce the new rule.

Gaara nodded, pushing Lee's head back into his robe so that the other could snuggle into him again. "As long as you keep your punishments as such, you may attempt to carry that out." Gaara knew it wasn't going to happen; this was the third time Lee had cried today… And, not only would he be living off of Jun's chips, he would also be living off of Amaya's bacon treats, and was not permitted to step 115 feet of any source of curry… He knew how this went.

Tomorrow, he would have to coerce Lee into forming some other form of punishment other than what food he would eat.


	15. The Ultimate Sacrifice

I stared at Aya, munching thoughtfully on my sweet and sour chips. I blink once in surprise, and then stare at the ground in confusion.

"Why do you want to kill your little brother?"

Aya looked up at me, crouching on my bedroom floor, and glared. Beside her, her wolf-sized dog snarled at me. "Why do I not want to kill him? He smells weird, and he keeps crying and I have never before felt so neglected! It like, the moment he steps in, I'm out!" She spread her arms out wide, eyes wide with disbelief as she illustrated her words.

Munching on my chips, I sit down on my bed and curl my legs up beneath me. "Oh…" Secretly, I don't get it… But maybe that's just me. "I'm sorry."

Aya sniffed, folding her arms over her knees childishly as she glared at my floor. "No, you're not."

My shoulders fall in submission. "You're right, I'm not…" I look down into my bag of chips, and take a deep breath of sacrifice.

With doubts in my mind, I thrust my bag onto her lap. "Here you go… I know… that you didn't eat all day… S-so…" She looks up at me in confusion, wrinkles her nose at the strong scent of sweet and sour, and then opens the bag. There is a moment of heavy silence, and then she grins.

Suddenly on her feet, she enfolds me in a tight hug. "Awwww, Jun; I love you too!"

On the ground, my bag of chips only has one chip left. It's nice to sacrifice every once in awhile so others do not that I care.


	16. Happy Birthday!

Ridiculously spaced out name fairytales is having her birthday on Friday! So, happy early birthday to you, ridiculously spaced out name fairytales!

* * *

_'butt buddies… so, definitely butt buddies…' _

Aya chocked on her own laughter as Minamaru looked to them with a face flushed red. Sitting atop Kanaye, who looked at all of them with a very sound glare radiating 'You shall all die painfully'.

Standing beside Aya, eight-month pregnant Lee stood with mouth dropped open and eyes bugging from his head. All he seemed capable of doing was pointing with a trembling finger to the two boys who were laying- fully clothed, Aya would like to applaud- upon Minamaru's bed. Behind him, Aya's pup-daddy stood with a 11-month old boy who had his bug-daddy's black hair and pale skin, then copied his pup-daddy in appearance…as far. Slightly in front of the horrified mother-to-be-again, Gaara could not have looked less surprised. On the other side of Aya, Jun looked as if he was about to faint, one chip held forgotten at his lips while his other hand held a death-grip on the plastic bag holding his favorite snack.

After five minutes of the controversy silence, Aya wanting to laugh, Jun wanting to die, and everyone else wanting to scream, Kanaye growled at them.

"Why is everyone in here?"

Aya smirked, wishing that Oki was with her, but she was getting her check up by her Aunt Hana. "Well, in case you didn't notice, today's August 13. Usually, us people refer to it as Ru-ru's B-day because this is the same exact day, if not 13 years later, that he was born." She imitated a look of shock and put her hand to her mouth. "OMG, can you believe that?"

The boy in question groaned and buried his head in Kanaye's shoulder. This finally queued the horrified mother-to-be-again into the real world again.

"Ka-Kanaye! My blossoming lotus, how could you!?" He stared with shock and terror upon his 16-year old son. "He is underage, and your brother!"

Kanaye sighed, removing one hand from Minamaru's waist to rub at his face. "One, we're not doing what it looks like, we're just making out. Two, he's not my brother, you didn't give birth to him and father didn't sire him. Therefore, he's fair game. Technically, he's not anymore, but he was." He put his hand back to Minamaru's waist. "Any questions?"

"Do you plan to marry him?" The question was asked with a deep, smooth voice that could only belong to one man. Gaara continued to look at his son as if there honestly wasn't anything wrong with the picture set before him.

Kanaye scowled at his own father. "Was the first person you made out with chichi?"

Gaara held a staring contest with his look-alike, and then nodded his head once in acceptance. He pulled the dumbstruck second beautiful green beast away, and then stared coolly at the rest.

"Leave."

Aya cooed, tracking her fingers together as she stared with a wide smirk. "Say, redhead dude… guess what happened to Ru-ru's first kiss?" She was grabbed around the neck and forcefully pushed out of the door by an extremely pale Jun, who seemed to be quivering if one were to look close enough.

Kanaye's eyes snapped to Minamaru, who had been silent for the longest period of time Kanaye had ever known him to be, and snarled.

"What was Aya talking about?"

"Hmm?" Minamaru raised his head distractedly, before he shoved his nose back into the junction of Kanaye's shoulder. "Oh, yeah, no biggy. It's just that Aya once slammed a door shut on my butt, and that shoved me forward, and then I landed on Jun and we accidentally kissed." He snuggled against Kanaye's chest, entirely oblivious to the killing rage that came into the older boy's eyes. "You smell smexy."

Sitting downstairs, Aya was happily rubbing her hands together, eyes fixed on the young shadow-nin with cruel delight.

"You are so dead." The shadow-boy gulped, hand trembling somewhat as he raised another chip to his lips.

"Do you think… I could at least get in a 'happy birthday' before he tortures me slowly into next year?" Jun asked in a terrified whisper, eyes squinted slightly in thought and in a grimace.

Aya swung her one leg back and forth, arms folded behind her head as she continued to smirk. "Mmm… Nope, that will just make your death last longer."

From the kitchen, Aya could hear Lee hyperventilating, her own pup-daddy trying to convince her three-month old brother not to do anything that would hint at him having seen boys make out (honestly, is that necessary? Either way, it's funny), and raccoon-daddy try and remain deafeningly quiet despite the fact that Aya knew Lee was weeping on his shoulder.

"MY SON HAS GROWN INTO A MAN!!!…AND IT WAS SOONER THAN I HAD BECOME ONE!!!"

Aya hid her smile behind her hands as her shoulders shook.

"It damn well have been later. I was too busy at 16 to claim you… much less 13."

"Hey, bushy brows, it's actually pretty common for kids with three-years difference datin'. Hey, if Arune was 16, and Kanaye 19, would you still be upset?"

"… I gu-guess not… I- I mean, I would be! They are hardly of appropriate age for such activities."

"They were dressed, bushy-brows; all they're doin' is experimenting." Aya's pup-daddy continued to comfort. In the living room, Aya and Jun could actually feel Lee's confidence expand.

"YOSH! You are right, Kiba-kun! I must return to them and apologize for my negative input! They must know that I accept their coupling and am delighted in their upcoming marriage!"

"Hey, Bushy-brows, don't do that; I mean, they're still doin' what they were doin', and well, it's too early to congratulate them on their upcoming marriage. I mean, come on, you gotta think about this-"

"I shall go to them now, so they know of my immediate acceptance!"

"Lee, stay here-"

Aya and Jun turned their heads sharply to watch a chubby green blob toddle-run through and then listened to the pounding as weighted down feet met staircase.

"My blossoming lotus! Ru-ru!" A door slammed open. "I accept you both in your entirety!-… IT BURNS!!!"

Aya dropped her head into her hands and shook it. Jun whimpered as he stuffed his face into the sweet and sour chips bag.

"CHICHI, I love you, but you need to GET OUT."

"Kanaye! Be nice to Mommy, he's pregnant and in denial! It's okay, mommy, just turn around and pretend you saw nothing."

Aya could not stop herself from laughing. Yep, Minamaru must be having the best birthday ever.


	17. Dear Journal

_2009, November 21st_

_Dear Journal,_

… _Kanaye is such a pervert! _

_We had a sleepover last night, Kanaye's mommy is in labor at the hospital, and Aya and I were forced to sleep on the ground…well, she slept on the ground, I slept on the spare mattress, but that's beside the point! Kanaye and Arune were sleeping together on the bed, that's the point._

_I know they're dating now, and that they're… well, they're doing what couples do, but Arune wouldn't stop wiggling! Every time they moved on the ancient mattress, it made this loud, grating noise, like it wanted to die! It's like the poor thing was screaming for mercy, but they wouldn't give it to it. The noise wouldn't let me sleep, and Aya wasn't doing much better. She was growling and curling into herself and kept looking at the bed as if she was more than willing to kill it. I know she was too, I could see the fantasy she was having in her head about sending the mattress through a shredder._

_That's not even the worst part; right when I was almost asleep, the alarm went off! When Lady Tsunade brought us here to stay the night awaiting the news of Kanaye's mommy, she hadn't said anything about their being an alarm! It had been 6:20 when it went off, and I wanted to throw it out of the window. When it sounded, everyone groaned. Kanaye managed to turn it off, and Arune didn't seem to like the rude awakening at all and went immediately back to sleep (How he slept with the bed groaning like it was, but the alarm managed to annoy him to consciousness, I do not know). As a matter of fact, they both went back to sleep; I had just stared at the wall for a few more minutes; then Aya stood up and left the room. When she came back, she laid down and stared at me. I had looked back at her, and then she had started talking about random things I hadn't even understood! Everything I had understood, it never lasted long before she went on about something else and then dodged back to a topic we had already talked about. Which reminds me…_

_Note: 2009, November 20th, I learned that Aya loved the anime show 'Kingdom Hearts'… What is 'Kingdom Hearts'? _

_Right when I was sure Aya was getting me to fall back asleep, Arune screamed._

"_Kanaye, stop groping my ass!"_

… _Yes, Aya did not miss a beat in laughing so loud, I was sure she was going to wake up her baby brother who was down stairs or the adults who were also sleeping. But that's not even the sad part! It was what Kanaye said back that made me laugh too!_

"_I was grabbing for the blanket…"_

… _I know for a fact that Kanaye can never get cold. Yeah, he lives in the desert, but he's stayed out so many nights on his own roof wearing nothing but a pair of pants that I know he doesn't need a blanket! Well, it is autumn here in Konoha, but it wasn't even that cold in our room! Okay, it was, but it wasn't cold enough to actually bother Kanaye, not with the temperatures he's been out in before._

_All I really want to say: Kanaye is a pervert, and a big liar… albeit a good one._

_

* * *

_

_2009, November 22sd_

_Dear Journal, _

_I think I'm like Arune…_

_You know… a uke… I shouldn't like guys like that! I mean, it's alright; mommy loves daddy and they're both guys, I love Kanaye and Arune like brothers and they're both guys dating each other… but I shouldn't like guys like that! I mean… what if this is from being born from two men and being surrounded constantly by gay people? Then people might think that Lady Tsunade's experiment has a huge flaw that makes all of the offspring gay too, and I need to be that odd number that isn't gay! _

_I don't trust Aya to be that odd number, so many people have been calling her a… you know, that mean word for homosexual… that she's going to be one just to tick them off. But, I'm almost sure that she'll be bi. That will be a win-win… I think._

_But, yeah… I like this guy on my team. He's never going to see me like I see him, he has a girlfriend… but he's really nice to me, and stops our other teammate from picking on me. He's really strong and he always pays when we go out to eat. I was really sad that, when teams were chosen, I wasn't put on Aya's… but he makes it less awkward. _

_Our team is the only one that doesn't have a girl in it, so I'm on a team with him, and Tenten's and Neji's son. He's a year younger than us, but he's really smart and gifted, so he was placed with us. He's really mean too, he's always calling my mommy fat and my daddy lazy. _

_Only two days after he started picking on me, my crush… I mean, other teammate, pushed in and shoved him back! He's stronger than the Hyuuga kid! That's when he first took me out to eat and then he met Aya and Oki… they didn't like him so much, but they never like strangers. I learned that he was born in the rain country and his parents escaped there to get away before they were slaughtered. Lady Tsunade told me to keep a careful eye on him, just in case he wasn't as nice as he acted._

_That would kill me… if he was a traitor. I like him a lot… but I'm not going to say anything about it to anyone! I'm just going to wait out the crush, it will have to work! He already has a girlfriend, so he must not like guys! Besides, he's older than me by two years! He got held back because, when he was in hiding, he didn't learn anything, but he's caught up quickly, and now we're all jounin anyway, so it doesn't matter. _

_I wish I didn't like him so much, but he's so awesome! His girlfriend doesn't like me at all, but she's never let on while we're standing in front of him. Every time he leaves us alone, she'll glare at me and start saying really rude things that would have made my mommy turn red and super size his fist to hit her with. I always leave before she's done, I don't want to be around when he comes back and sees me pale and shaken like a leaf stuck in the winter wind. _

_I'm 17! Yet I act like a girl, I'm weak like one… what's wrong with me!?… wait, that came out wrong… I'm not weak like a girl, Aya would kill me if I compared her to my weaker moments… I'm weak like a drama queen! There, she would accept that…_

_That is so sad… this is my secret journal, I shouldn't have to watch what I say (…or write) to please her! I shouldn't have to not include names because I'm afraid she'll blackmail me! WHY CAN'T SHE LEAVE MY PRIVACY ALONE!?!?!?_

_I need to stop being so random and off track, I really do. It's just… that with Kanaye's mommy giving birth (Her name is Koi, I thought that was cute- UHH! I did it again! I need to stop acting so girly!) and with my crush going out with that… that… there is no word mean enough to call her! I'm just so frustrated… _

_I'm crying now, that can't be right… I can't be crying! There is no reason for me to be crying!… I need to go find Aya… she always holds me really warm and close and she'll have Oki sit on my lap and lick my hands every time I'm this upset… I don't think I can go to Mommy or Daddy about this right now. I won't tell her what's upsetting me; if I did, she'll just say 'He's not worth it', or 'Awww… when do you want me to kill him and how painfully?' or some other funny dig at my sudden homosexuality that is meant to make me laugh… and would...  
_

_I think I need to find a new hiding place for this journal, it wasn't exactly where I put it last time…_

_

* * *

_

_2009, November 23rd_

_Dear Journal, _

_I wasn't able to run away this time. He caught me before I could make it to Aya so she could give me a hug or give me sweet and sour chips and chocolates. _

_This time, I was more than ready for those comforts, I was also ready to choke myself on my own sobs. She went over the edge today, and she wasn't the only one to do so… Hito, Neji's and Tenten's son (He's also obsessed with Arune, and that scares me because he gets violent on us every time he sees Kanaye and Arune together), was with her. I think they're using each other, but Hito is so 'in love' with Arune, I don't see him doing the intimate with someone else._

_What they said today… I think I died a little inside. They kept calling me a whore, fag, weak, dud, fatty and so many other names. And then they started hitting me. I tried to use my shadows on them, but I was so upset, my hands were trembling and my head was too messed up to focus on a jutsu._

_When I managed to break away from them, there was a gash on my arm, a bruise on my face, a few more bruises lining my arms, and my pride was shattered. I need to grow a backbone and stand up for myself! My daddy was a leader, and I need to be more like him! I'm so weak, how does Mommy even stand it? _

_I was only a few buildings over when I was tackled to the ground. It wasn't just anyone, it was him. I stared up at him stupidly for a few seconds, as always startled by the liquid amber of his eyes and just how strong he was, before I had begun to struggle. I had been crying and it was clear that someone had attacked me. I didn't need him to see me that way… how did I become a jounin? I don't know… I think they pitied me and just let me pass. I don't deserve my status…_

_He didn't let me up for a long time, and he looked like he was ready to kill someone. For a while, I thought it was me he wanted to kill; I was the one he was looking at and he was pinning me to the ground. Right when I was about to start begging out loud for the ground to swallow me whole, he shocked me nearly to death._

_He butterfly-kissed my bruised cheek… He kissed me… HE kissed ME. Even if it wasn't on the lips, I felt myself go red everywhere. Then he just stared down at me as he let go of my wrists and leaned back; I still couldn't get free, but I could at least lean on my own elbows enough to not feel trapped… not that I had… I had just laid there, deaf and blind to everything else occurring. No lie, I literally forgot I was on a building or that I had just been crying or that my arm was still bleeding a lot or that my cheek was still throbbing. All I seemed to see was how angry and sad his eyes were and the words he said to me._

"_I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore, Jun, okay?"_

_In the back of my head, I had heard Aya's voice saying 'so corny', but my heart thundered away like some wild stallion and I had to suck each every breath in. I guess I should have been born one of those damsels in distress instead of the son of the proud clans of the Akamichi and the Nara, but not everything comes out the way it seems they should. _

_I had blinked, and then his weight was gone and he was missing with it when I opened my eyes once again, hardly a 100th of a second later. _

_So, yeah, today was strangely… painful and magical. A hurt and comfort kind of thing. I hope Aya doesn't read my journal, she'd call me really girly and easily wooed and then she'll look up pick-up lines online and use them on me in public. She's done it before, this time she'll just have a reason to do it._

_I know someone else is reading it, for certain, it wasn't where I had last put it. If it's mommy, as least he's not confronting me about it in the morning… I would understand if it was daddy, he never bothers about things I don't come to him about, even if he is all-knowing about it. If it's Arune… nah, it's not Arune; he would have given himself out by now… Whoever is reading this, please stop. It's an evasion of my privacy!_

_

* * *

_

The purple colored 'journal' was very silently closed as two amber colored eyes turned back to the boy sleeping unwarily upon the bed. The boy beneath the covers had skin that was two shades shy of apricot, hair naturally a dark honey color. Eyes that usually lit like a cinnamon fire were closed loosely in sleep, hands curled slightly at his lush lips. In his journal entries, he wasn't too far off; he did appear feminine. But the boy watching him had never believed him to act girlishly, he acted freely and openly and knew who he could trust.

Slowly, very slowly, the intruder reached out with gentle fingers and brushed them across the other boy's cheek that sported a large yellowing bruise. Against the tender skin, the hand clenched slightly in anger; the innocent creature lying there shouldn't have had to go through with that. He thought himself weak? Amber eyes laughed mockingly upon the Akamichi-Nara; Jun was not weak, _he_ was weak.

He wouldn't have gone out with that bitch to prove to himself that he didn't like his teammate if he hadn't weak. He would have damned well walked right up to the honey-haired boy and ravished him right in front of their sensei the moment he had first smiled. He was too cute for his own good.

That hadn't happened though, but he might have a chance to try again. The whore was out of the picture, and damn well knew better than to try and step back in for calling the food-loving boy such names. His other teammate as well had not gone home unscathed, he may hear about this from the hokage, but he knew why he had done it.

He wasn't a traitor, there was nothing he could think he was willing to betray this boy for that could be found in the rain country. It just wasn't going to happen.

Purposefully, he put the journal back in the once-locked drawer of the stand next to the boy's bed at an one degree difference than it had rested when he had first taken it out, then locked the drawer once again with the key that had originally been hidden in the picture frame of Jun with his three closest friends and one dog. Leaning down, he kissed the skin of Jun's cheek one last time, then leaped right out of the window to the ground below.

* * *

Would you like to know something funny? That first journal entry actually did happen, but under only some different circumstances. It was at the birthday party for ridiculously spaced out name Heartless, and she truly was only trying to grab the blankets; she may always be warm, but it was seriously cold. It was still funny as all hell, though. I told her that I was going to put that into the mpreg fic, and I was not lying. It was just too good to pass up.


	18. Hello Koi, love

Lee leaned over the baby crib, his smile gentle and proud upon the small girl lying within the wooden bars that kept her from falling out. He reached out slowly, softly stroking her new-born skin, then put his finger to length against the length of her arm; his one pointer finger was longer than her forearm and hand combined. It was just too… cute!

He giggled, his other hand in front of his mouth to try and stop the sound. In the crib, the baby girl did not even twitch. She remained perfectly still and oblivious. Lee carefully touched her cheek, reveling in the knowledge that it felt like touching a ripe peach. She looked so beautiful… Had he truly given birth to her?

He leaned over the side of the crib, pressing his lips to her forehead as he smiled, then he nuzzled their noses together; the baby remained oblivious.

"Koi, my beautiful rose, you must open your eyes and experience the wonders of creating Thanksgiving dinner!" He whispered joyfully, brushing his lips in her hair. "Your chichi shall be making the vegetables, the fruits, and the yams! If only you could experience Ru-ru's spectacular pumpkin pie as well as his other deserts, you would be blown away! Chouji-kun shall be making the main course, the largest turkey you would have ever witnessed! Your father?" Lee chuckled, leaning slightly out of the crib as he prepared himself to leave the room. "He shall be keeping order of the large number of people coming here." Lee patted the crib's railing, sad that they had had to borrow it from Chouji and Shikamaru for the time being.

They hadn't been able to return home to Suna yet, having decided that since Koi had only been born four days ago, they would stay here; specially since Gaara had had news of a sandstorm blowing through. Lee shuddered, hand tightening dangerously upon the lid of the crib; that would have been horrifying, having her caught in the terrible storms that blew through the desert, or midday sun…

"Oh, we must not forget your youthful blossoming lotus of a brother, little Koi!" He whispered-shouted in excitement, nearly jumping in glee. "He has been coerced into assisting Ru-ru make the pies by Ru-ru himself! Ru-ru is your brother as well," Lee began to explain as if the child had asked, though she had not even opened her eyes from her nap yet. "but in different ways… no, not in different ways, but by different means! It was Kanaye who fell in love with him at sight and had threatened us to not leave Ru-ru in the orphanage, his fiery determination having caught me instantly and I was able to convince your father!" Lee blushed, looking down at his orange legwarmers. "By doing 'activities' that you shall not know of for many years… unless Aya-chan becomes bored one day and you are there as well… Koi- love, do not remain in a room alone with Aya-chan until you know how to deflect her sudden and abrupt questioning and…'facts'." Lee smiled again upon his not-listening-child. "I must go now to help prepare dinner for tomorrow and then begin my own plates!" He kissed Koi's forehead again, smiling softly once again as he leaned away and walked silently out of the door.

What no one would have seen as he stepped outside of the room, no one being there, was the knowing, gleeful smile on his face as he looked only once back at the room. He began to hum tunelessly, laughter in his obsidian orbs.

In the temporary baby room, the darkness that had fit into the closest corner to the bed began to swirl and form. There was a sound of something grainy hitting the solid, cold floor as two pale, long-fingered hands rested cautiously on the lid of the crib. Eyes that were shy of sea green by two shades rested considering upon the tiny human being resting with a green spandex suit, a temporary baby blanket until a permanent one could be found. Ever so slightly, he dipped his chin as he acknowledged the creature. Only a very good, very observant person would have seen the suddenly there-then suddenly gone-spark that flashed through his eyes.

The baby had skin that was two shades lighter than burly wood, a promise that it would become darker, and straight strands of black were upon her head; her eyebrows were clearly existent, though not exceedingly large like that of his chichi, and the size of her eyes were large, through they were of his shape.

She looked like Lee. She even had his eyes, leaving Gaara the only one in the family who had the blue eyes that still left nightmares in the sleep of most.

Gaara leaned only slightly forward, taking that same observant person to be able to tell if he had moved at all. He reached out, and placed his hand over her eyes, before he took his back away and walked nonchalantly out of the room.

In the hall, he met Kanaye who was looking at him with a dry expression. "Did you name her too? If you named me 'zealous one', I have to know whether or not you're the one who named her 'love'…"

Gaara shook his head once, before he began walking. Beside him, his first-born walked as well. "She looks like chichi…"

"Yes." Gaara answered simply, waiting for Kanaye to come to the point.

"Isn't that what you wanted when you both conceived me?" There was a mocking tone to his voice, and Gaara's eyes swiveled to look at him, entirely calm, but understanding. He knew what his son was getting at.

"You're not going to be replaced. Too many sacrifices and time was placed into you for us to suddenly dismiss you." He looked ahead of the hall again, Kanaye gazing at him in consideration of his words and interpreting them as all knew to do with Sabaku no Gaara.

Kanaye smirked upon his interpretation. "I think you're irreplaceable too, father." Kanaye turned and walked down another hall, leaving Gaara to continue on his own.

When he was alone, Gaara turned his eyes slowly to where Kanaye had disappeared, closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned his eyes back to where he was walking. There was most likely mayhem in the kitchen with Lee, Chouji, and Arune fighting for space and ingredients. He had to go control it.

When Kanaye had turned a corner, he had turned another and another until he had gone in a full circle, ending right back in front of the baby's room. He stood soundlessly beside the door as he listened to the voice inside baby talk to Koi.

"And you call chichi mommy, and don't call raccoon-daddy father, call him raccoon-daddy!" The voice stated excitedly. "And you can call me Mina, Minu, Maru, Inu, Ru-ru, Roo-roo, Arun, or big bro!… You can't call me butterfly, no matter what Aya and Jun tell you, you can not call me butterfly… unless you really want too! Kanaye is grumpy-face, redhead, death-glare, big brother, Raccoon-daddy's love baby, red death, possessive panda… Yeah, anything you can come up with, you can call him that!"

Kanaye closed his eyes in annoyance. "Arune, don't you have to start cooking?"

There was a deafening silence on the other side of the door; then, slowly, cautiously, the door opened to reveal two amethyst eyes glaring at him. "If you tell raccoon-daddy, I will ground you from make-out sessions… and I'll sit next to Hito for Thanksgiving."

Kanaye snorted, pushing away from the wall. "Bullshit, you'll sit next to him; he only wants to jump into your pants; even I know you're too young to do that, yet." He was slapped upside the head, Minamaru's eyes cold and angry.

"How dare you swear when we're so close to the baby!" He said, appalled. "I'm telling mommy." He turned away and went right back into the baby's room. "I'll be down in no time, just leave me be with the baby!"

Kanaye walked away again, annoyed with everyone.

"You want to spend time with your sister, you like her, you want to protect her and eat her first date alive…" A sing-song began, followed by another voice giggling. Aya and Jun stood casually in the hall Kanaye had first gone down to leave his father behind. Jun eating his sweet and sour chips, cinnamon eyes alive with joy and laughter. There was a yellow bruise on his cheek, more along his left arm while a white bandage was wrapped securely around his right arm. He still refused to tell them what had happened.

When Aya had threatened to read his journal, he had seemed surprised about it, and had then finally given up the identity of his attackers with shame on his face. Both Hito and the whore had met a painful fate; it was another reason how Kanaye knew Arune wouldn't be sitting next to Hito.

"She is cute…" Jun said in defense of his redhead friend.

"Yeah, wait till other boys begin to notice that too…" Aya burst out into laughter when Kanaye growled, his eyes snapping danger at her. Kanaye quickly left them behind, hands fisted. Aya turned amused eyes to Jun, who smiled back.

Insane redheads made very good family, it did appear…


	19. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Lee gripped at his stomach again, a there-then-gone flash of pain crossing his face. The stitches lining his belly were not only itching again, they were stretching. Every ingredient he had to stretch for, the cupboards ridiculously high in the kitchens of the Hokage main building, ticked at another stitch. Every time something fell and he reached down to pick it up, the stitches would itch from being rubbed together. He could hardly remember having such a difficult time with this after giving birth to Kanaye!… then again, he had been forced to remain in the hospital for a week to make sure that nothing was wrong or that the success of the experiment had not damaged him in anyway…

Lee had to stretch, yet again, on his toes to open another drawer, and felt the stitches pull as well, threatening to snap apart. Under his breath, he gasped, hand instinctively flying to his stomach even as he continued to reach.

"If I can not grab this bag of brown sugar, I will do karaoke in front of Temari-kun!" He nodded his head to himself, doing a mental 'good guy pose'. "Yosh…"

His fingers just brushing against the see-through bag, there was a sound of grains flying, and then both Lee and the bag were on the ground, both cushioned by a large pad of sand. Lee tilted his head backwards and smiled innocently at the redhead.

"Hello, my blossoming lotus!"

Kanaye scowled, turning his eyes slightly to glare at the other two people in the kitchen who could have helped his chichi. Arune just gestured with a wide-eyed expression that said 'He wouldn't let us!' and Chouji seconded it by nodding furiously. Arune, upon seeing that he could not get his boyfriend to stop glaring at him, turned quickly back to the pie he was making from scratch with a grumpy look to rival Kanaye's on his face. Chouji shook his head sadly, sighing as he turned back to the turkey he had partly done.

Kanaye turned accusing eyes onto his own chichi after the other two forfeited. Lee smiled sheepishly. "Chichi, if you can't be responsible for yourself, or sensible, I will drag you out of this kitchen and let someone else cook in your place."

Lee looked scandalized as he stared up at his son, still comfortably held to the ground. "You can not do that! I am the only one that knows the secret ingredient for the fruit jello! No one else knows how long to put yams in for it to be just right, and no one else knows how to start a vegetable salad from the vegetable patch to the dinner table!"

Kanaye shook his head, entirely unimpressed at his chichi's pleading. "Arune does, Kiba does… everybody knows…"

Lee, for a moment, looked as if he were about to fight his case, and then snapped his mouth shut as he tilted his head thoughtfully as he continued to look up at his son. "Do… you know?"

Kanaye went tense, one eye lid twitching as he looked down at him. He refused to answer for two reasons: one, he could never lie to his chichi; two, he was not going to get trapped in what his chichi planned for him to do. Regardless, Lee knew the answer, and smiled brilliantly.

"Yosh! If you take upon my cooking duties, I shall rest! But only if you do so! Not another soul nor finger must touch upon these jobs! Do you understand, my blossoming lotus?" Lee carefully, steadily, slowly, stood up from the sandy cushion to his feet and then began to walk out of the kitchen. "You shall be magnificent! Have much youthful, fiery fun, Kanaye!"

Kanaye stared after him with horror just barely visible in his eyes, then he snapped a death-glare upon the other two males of the room as they began laughing. Chouji put his wrist to his mouth to try and be quiet, but his eyes laughed for him; Arune had no problem sounding as loud as he wanted as he gripped at his stomach with dough-covered hands, mouth wide open as he laughed his ass off.

"Shut up" The redhead snapped, moving to where his chichi had stood and began to prepare his trays.

Chouji giggled. "If we shut up, how can we talk about youthful, fiery fun?" Arune burst into a new round of laughter. At that point, Kanaye turned his head away and ignored them; he can get them back later, there is all of the time in the world to pay them back…

Outside of the kitchen door, Lee looked as if he were about to cry. "Reverse-psychology does not work…" He stated sadly. After a moment of self-pity for fooling himself out of the kitchen instead of scaring his son out, Lee took a deep breath, manned up, uked up, and then walked confidently into the gathering room where most of the humongous family was gathered.

Chouza walked past him, giving him a bright smile and a 'hello', which Lee returned enthusiastically, before he went through the kitchen doors to help cooking as well; three people were just not going to cut it. In the gathering room, Shikamaru was sitting across from his father, Shikaku, and playing a game of shougi against the older Nara. When Yoshino had unexpectedly left months back, Shikaku had been with his son off and on if he wasn't alone; this was one event they had managed to drag him to. On a couch furthest from the entry, Iruka was bouncing Makato on his knee, smiling sweetly as he looked down on the crown of his baby's head; a few feet from him, Kakashi had pulled out the oh-so-familiar book out and was pointedly lazy as Gai attempted to challenge him to a food eating contest, making obscene movement to illustrate what he was talking about.

Sitting next to Iruka, Kiba was bouncing his few-month old baby on his own knee, a canine grin on his face as he placed Makato and Kouga close together and laughed when they began to shove at each other. Iruka looked horrified, but, sitting on the other side of him, Shino only gave the slightest motion of his hand that went over his son's head, and then just barely touched again Iruka's shoulder in comfort. At his father's touch, Kouga stopped attempting to beat the white-haired baby up and eagerly reached for his bug-daddy. Naruto, who had been watching the spectacle from a few feet away, opposite of Gai and Kakashi, was laughing just as loud as Kiba, if not louder, until he was hit subtly upside the head by his dark-haired lover. That began a mini-war in the corner of the Kage building that was soon squashed by the scream of Lady Tsunade as she hit them both square in the jaw. Behind her, Shizune shook her head regretfully, the pink piggy held snuggly to her chest.

Sitting at another couch away from those groups, Neji sat gloomily as always, Tenten smiling brightly as she chatted with Sakura and Ino about whatever it was that they chatted about. Sitting next to Neji with the same gloomy expression, Hito had been healed of every one of his bruises and cuts because Hyuuga pride refused to have it any other way, and he watched the crowd with distaste, unlike his father who just watched.

It was looking at all of his dear friends and makeshift family that it occurred to Lee… it was beautiful! Everyone here for one night in total harmony, not one person to be harmed and everyone peacefully happy… Lee flew at his sensei with joy scribbled across his face.

"GAI-SENSEI!" His father-like-figure caught him easily and pulled him into a bear hug that Lee refused to regret… despite the pain that sparked through his belly.

"LEE!!!" He returned the hug full force.

"GAI-SENSEI!!!"

"LEE!!!"

"GAI-SENSEI!!!!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Both green-clad men turned whipped-puppy expressions upon the hokage as she fumed over them, just suddenly there.

Makato gurgled and Kouga sniffled, then they both fell into simultaneous tears as they clung to their 'mommies'. Kiba attempted to hush his baby, then forfeited him to Shino, where he instantly became quiet, while Iruka stood quickly to his feet, grabbed Kakashi's book from his hands, and placed it before his son's eyes. Despite not being able to read or comprehend that well, Makato latched onto the book and began to squeal in joy as he pounded at the paper and looked focused upon the pictures. Kakashi stood there looking at his son with his hand having not moved as if he continued to hold the porn book.

Snide remarks were made by Naruto and a few others, which were quickly ended by the dark look Iruka gave them, and then everyone went back to what they were doing as if nothing had happened.

Jun and Aya ran down the stairs with Oki hot on their heels, quickly saying their 'hello' before they ran down the hall and out the front door, if the sound of a door slamming open the closed was any indication. Hardly anyone spared them a glance, though Lee stared after them considering.

Coming down the stairs after them, Gaara stared to the entrance they had disappeared through with a slightly tense jaw as he held Koi close to his chest, supporting her neck and body as his eyes promised silent retribution. Lee squealed in joy and leaped upon them, abandoning his sensei who developed a sudden cloud of depression. Lee pressed his lips to Gaara's for only a tenth of a second, quickly releasing him just as Gaara began to push back into the contact. Lee waved and began baby-talking to his daughter, who only stared with glassy black eyes blearily focused.

For two more hours, strange happenings occurred that happened every day of their lives; a mini-war began between Kiba and Naruto for Naruto disturbing Kouga's nap, which wasn't ended as soon as Lady Tsunade would have liked, which meant there was a decorative whole in the wall now that could be seen through to the outside. The babies were bundled up tightly before Lee decided to take Koi outside to see the moon, Kiba followed soon after, allowing Kouga to travel on hands and knees across the fallen leaves and cold grass, while Iruka stayed protectively within the warmer room one over from the destroyed one, eventually followed by those that didn't wish to become cold or have their game interrupted by the night's breeze.

Aya and Jun came back with a soaked Oki (from events they refused to talk about) who immediately glomped Hito, seeming much to hyper for anyone's liking as she immediately moved onto Sakura and tackled her as well before Aya dropped the 'I can't control my dog!' act and called Oki back to her before both them and Jun dashed upstairs, something stashed between them that no one could knew the identity to. Arune came out of the kitchen upon hearing Sakura screaming and Hito cursing, busted out into laughter with a mock-light in his eyes upon seeing the situation, before going back into the kitchen, where he told Kanaye, Chouji, and Chouza excitedly what had happened, which had made them laugh (not Kanaye, he snickered… continuously and loudly) hard enough that the depthless bowl of gravy went spewing everywhere and actually leaked out of the kitchen door right when Sakura had the misfortune to walk by in an attempt to find something to clean herself with, and slipped… she then smelled of wet dog and gravy, which gave Ino ammunition in which to taunt her with, herself smelling of neither.

That had begun a gravy war in which Shikamaru was the second victim after Sakura for having the misfortune of being too lazy to duck after Ino dodged out of the way. Lady Tsunade gave up screaming at everyone and called her pink slug on who slipped her head through the whole in the wall and threatened to sneeze. That was after everyone minus Gaara and Koi (Lee having handed her to Gaara when the war had begun to join forces with his beloved sensei who was having a stand off with Kakshi, and had then used sand barrier against everyone one of the insane people) was covered in the grey thick soupy-like substance, and would have submitted themselves to going home, changing, and coming back; except, Arune, Chouji, and Chouza blocked their exits and told them to sit down and eat, all of them covered in the gravy they had worked hard to make. Kanaye, having been attacked by Arune when the fight had begun, was the one least unwilling to have to sit through dinner sticky and filthy because he got to watch Hito squirm and scowl like a bitch and Sakura grimace and wiggle. He may be covered in the liquid, but it was well worth it to watch the bastards he hated by covered in it as well.

Beside him at the dinner table, Minamaru was happily chatting on about how they had made dinner, what ingredients had been used, how long it had taken, and had then gone deathly silent once Sakura began screaming bloody murder and Hito's eye twitched, a twisted expression of delight on his face as he gave a thumbs up to Aya and Jun who sat across from Kanaye and him. Onto the floor, a raccoon landed, chattering dangerously as it growled at the pink-haired girl, looking befuddled and pissed at the same time. Kanaye, watching, knew how it had happened, but had know idea how it had happened. How did someone slip a wild raccoon into someone's lap without them noticing? The answer came when a furiously happy Oki slipped out from under the table with slight scratches across her muzzle and delight in her brown eyes. Kanaye witnessed the exchange of biscuit for a lick as Aya smirked, returning the thumbs up as Jun attempted to hide his smile behind a hand and simultaneously stuff stuffing into his mouth.

At the end closest to them where Gaara sat directly across from Lady Tsunade, the redhead stared pointedly upon the three victorious teens, and then turned his eyes to Kanaye with a blank expression. Lee looked horrified as he gently inserted Koi into the redhead's arms and flashed to Sakura's side to help her as well as ward off the raccoon. Kiba and Akamaru were growling right back at the displaced rodent, looking ready to attack the creature. It scurried out of the room, followed by Kiba and Akamaru, where it escaped through the whole in the next room. At the opening, Kiba grabbed Akamaru and stopped him, turning back to return to the dinner, upset that he hadn't caught the furry creature in time.

Arune snickered, looking to Gaara with laughter in his eyes. Aya was openly laughing, and Jun had managed to bring himself under enough control to correctly swallow the stuffing. When Aya had the breath to, she grinned at the kazekage, mischief in her eyes. "Seemed kind of… symbolic, don't ya think? The pissed off, 'rawr, I bite yo face!' raccoon attempts to rip the pink-haired thingy apart…" She tut-tutted, eyes mockingly sad as Gaara's jaw tightened only the very slightest bit as he didn't bother looking at her and only looked down at his daughter's face. "Too baby your's is only a fantasy; that little man was about to make it come true!" She gave a considering look, tapping a spoon against her bottom lip. She opened her mouth in what would have been a very good remark, but was stopped when Arune burst into a new round of laughter.

When he had enough oxygen to breathe, he smirked, looking from his again sitting mommy to his raccoon daddy. "You should have brought a squirrel in with him! That way that could get rodent freaky with each other, and that way it'd be really symbolic!"

Lee turned red and sputtered, before he shoved a large amount of fruit jello into his mouth and followed them up with doubled eggs where he promptly downed eggnog… and developed a red blush across his face.

No one had bothered to tell Lee that Naruto had gotten bored and decided to spike the holiday drink.

Dinner, ultimately, went well because the food was saved as well as most of the house and the children remained entirely oblivious or uncaring of the mad, swearing green-clad jounin that was being tracked down by Neji and Gai, and was thereby pinned to the ground by his husband and son, Koi safely in the hands of Arune who began to plot the downfall of the pink-haired kunuiochi with her. The spectacle was only noted by Aya who gave commentary, which made Jun laugh against his will, which made Chouji laugh and Chouza followed after with a smile at the happiness of the two younger generations of Akamichi. Shikamaru smirked, Kiba assisted in commentary, Naruto got upset that he wasn't allowed to give commentary, began shouting about it, and was then hit, again, by Sasuke which made him almost kill the teme-bastard, except they began a makeout session that ended up in a room upstairs because no one wanted to see that… except Sakura and Ino, who only wanted to see Sasuke's face, though Ino was okay with Naruto being in the picture.

Shikaku sighed, finished his plate, then walked nonchalantly out of the room into the next where he walked out of the whole in the wall, only pausing long enough to listen to the first two words of farewell that was shouted by the teens as well as Chouza and Chouji, before he walked out. He planned to take a shower to get out of the gravy he was thickly covered in, having been ganged on by the Akamichi's as well as Aya and his own grandson, Shikamaru had considered it, and had then lost interest in the idea and left his family to do the dirty work. Gatherings were so bothersome…

Iruka looked like death that wished to descend upon Sasuke for making out so blatantly, not only in front of his child, but with Naruto, his adopted son. Kakashi ignored them all, using his made copy cat-nin skills to make sure that no one saw his face as he ate, making many of them sad with disappointment, which made Iruka smile secretly and Makato clap his hands. All three of them were covered thinly in the gravy, having stayed mostly out of fire except for Gai's challenge against Kakashi.

Lady Tsunade now had a green robe stained grayish, and had an expression on as if she was waiting for someone to come by that she could kill; Shizune attempted, again, to calm her boss down, the piggy on the floor where he continued to try and reach all of the gravy on himself and anyone else he could get to.

Shino was very calm about every aspect that had occurred, not saying one word, despite having been one of the people most attacked by gravy, and had only given kikaichu in return, which had very quickly ended the attacks, though not soon enough. Kouga was happily smearing his hands into his father's coat, wiping the gravy away, and then sucking contently on his fingers.

All in all, when the night was over and everyone was most uncomfortable with themselves smelling of gravy but full at the same time, Lady Tsunade gave the order that they could not come into such a large gathering unless professional ANBU were involved.

"… No, Aya and Arune, you two can not make funny faces at them, try to steal their masks, or dress up as ANBU yourselves…"

"Damn it!"

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[_u_+_r _(review)]_ l _(love) = _83 _(happy author)


	20. Lover In My Dreams

_I could feel air brush against my ear, something soft, warm, and wet pressing against my cheek before they seemed to track down my body, trailing something rough, hot, and even more wet with it, making me gasp and moan._

_It was just when something warm and damp surrounded my private that my vision cleared, just in time to see the maroon purple of my ceiling as I threw my head back, crying out as my hands tangled into the hair of my lover. It felt so… strange, different… so good. I bit my lip to try and stop myself, but gasps still managed to escape me. _

_I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I sealed my eyes tightly, wanting more, but not sure how to ask for it. As I was released, still in a painful state of arousal, I whined, pulling at him. He chuckled, coming into my vision as he licked at his lips. Amber eyes stared down at me with a liquid flow to them, so amazingly beautiful, I felt myself blush. He smirked, placing one hand gently to my face as he held my eyes, lowering his head till his lips were on mine. Staring into the amber orbs, I gave no fight, had no wish to fight, as his tongue prodded at me for entrance. Eagerly, I welcomed him in, slipping my tongue shyly against his as he began to play with it with his own. _

_I hardly realized that I was out of breath until he pulled away and I began gasping for air, clutching his shoulders so he couldn't escape too far. His violet hair tickled my face as he only continued to lean over me, an almost sad smile on his face. When he began to shake his head, a cold terror began to flow through my soul and heart; when he attempted to break away from me, I wrapped both legs around his hips and locked my arms around his neck to keep him with me, feeling desperate._

_He looked at me through the corner of his eyes, his smile disappearing as an almost yearning look descended upon him. _

"_You weren't supposed to wake up…"_

_I don't know what he's talking about, but I can't let him get away… I've wanted this for too long._

"_Samaie…" _

_His eyes came fully back to mine, surprise seeming to shoot through them. I don't know why he's surprised; am I not supposed to know who he is? He kissed me again, pressing down forcefully, before he pulled back abruptly._

"_Jun…" He balanced himself on one arm, and placed a hand over my eyes. I frowned, confused as to what he's doing. "Go back to sleep, Jun…"_

_Behind his hand, I blink, my hands loosely holding onto the cloth of his shirt. "I already am asleep… this is just a dream." I said, trying to understand this._

"_Does it have to be a dream?" His voice questioned. _

_I bit my lip, feeling a cold sadness go through me. "Yes…" _

"_Why?" He sounded just as sad as I do…_

"_Because… you'd never love me like this if I were awake…"_

"… _How do you know?" He sounds angry… did I do something wrong?_

_Uncertainly, my hands flutter away from his chest to rest on my own._

"_You only like girls…" _

_There was an air that spoke of a smart reply coming, but it drained away as the hand pressed against my eyes began to drift down, touching against my nose, and then rested gently on my lips. I stared up at him, he looks… upset._

_He shouldn't be upset._

_I reach out and place my palm over his cheek, caressing the skin gently to try and comfort him._

_This dream was becoming more and more strange…_

_He leaned into my touch, closing his eyes for a moment as he shuddered. His thumb rubbed against my bottom lip, making me shake as I bit down gently on the appendage. He started, his eyes shooting open to stare down at me in shock. I felt the heat color me red as I released him, muttering a 'sorry' as I looked away. I thought he would have liked that…_

"_Mmph!" My hands grabbed his shoulders and held on as he swooped down and stole the breath from my lungs, devouring me through my lips as he nipped at the sensitive flesh and battled with his tongue, massaging my lips with his. _

_I managed to steal a breath when he pulled away the slightest inch, and then came right back, his hands teasing against my body as he balanced himself on his knees. I feel so dizzy… so many things are happening, and I feel as if it's all happening too fast and too large; I just hope it doesn't stop…_

_I don't know how long we were like that; it could have been seconds or centuries, either way, time spun right past me as I gripped him to me. He felt stable… the rest of the world was shaky…_

_It took me a moment to meet his eyes, something orange-like blocking my vision; of course, that turned out to be his eyes… they are very… unreal…_

_He stopped touching me, making me whimper in protest; I tried to arch my body up, a plea for him to touch me again, but he only placed a hand to my hip to keep me on the bed._

"_This is just a dream?" I nodded, gripping him tightly as I tried to fight his resistance. In all of my other dreams, he was never this stubborn! _

_He nodded in return, sitting up on top of me as he stared down at me. I kept contact with his eyes, feeling the heat coercing through my veins. I need him, I want him… I love him… but it's only a crush… so, one day, these dreams should be gone with him… right? _

_He makes a hand symbol that I'm not familiar with. I open my mouth, wanting to question it, but can't do it. My whole body becomes lax and my mind hazy as my eyes become heavy like lead._

"_Then wake up."_

_Darkness swallowed me, only his last words reaching me when I fell over the edge of dream and into the light of waking…_

* * *

I shot up in my bed, gasping for breath as my gaze flew around the room. That had felt so… real… even more real than any other dream I had had of my teammate. With a gulp, I gingerly pick up the edge of the blanket covering my lower body and look beneath it. How strange… I usually wake up with a 'happy little man' or with stains…

Squinting my eyes, I looked down at my own body. Aside from a few scars I had from missions and other incidents, as well as only a couple fading bruises, I had had 'flawless' skin. I don't remember this bruise on my hip, though…

I shake it off, that's just being paranoid… Samaie would never like me like that…

* * *

I feel so abandoned… I haven't been getting any reviews! So, if you please, give me a word of love. Love equals happiness, which means I will feel more privileged to continue updating! Give me something to work with, people!

P.S. I have been thinking about asking you wonderful people for prompts for this story, since it does bounce everywhere. Think about it, what would you like to see this huge family do? Please note that I might not be able to do your prompt, but I will most certainly try.


	21. project, Impregnate the Uchiha's Manwife

"Hey, Tsunade, what did ya want me here for?" The blonde boy asked, hands crossed behind his head as he walked beside his kage, eyes slit as he looked at her through the corner of his eyes.

"We think you are internally bleeding as well as suffering from malnutrition…" The woman said smoothly, seeming pissed for some reason.

Naruto stopped walking, horror on his face as he stared at her.

"H-hey, what!? B-but, I can't… You can't be serious! Seriously, I should heal instantly, so there's nothing to worry about!" He spun right back around on the heel of his shoe, panic on his face. "I'm just going to go home now- oomph!"

Down the rest of the length of the hall, Naruto kicked, clawed, and screamed rape as Lady Tsunade dragged him forcefully into a strange examination room.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." It was clear by the tone of her voice that she wasn't. "But even your demon can't heal these wounds. No worries, though, we have a very special class of healing nins that will heal you right up, including myself and Shizune."

Naruto looked as if he was about to cry, huge blue eyes watery as he stared at the closed and locked door. For whatever reasons Naruto had, he gave no thought to transporting out, which was what Lady Tsunade was depending on.

"B-but, I'll be okay, right? I mean… think about what teme-bastard would do to me if I died!"

The kage's smile came out more annoyed then reassuring as she patted the boy's head. The room was lined with the 'special class of healing nin' with Shizune standing right next to her boss. Naruto, upon realizing that he wasn't getting out, sat dejectedly on the white bed.

"I… What do ya have to do?"

'I can not believe he is falling for this…' Lady Tsunade thought, then amended herself. 'I should have known it would be this easy…'

"I have to do an abdominal healing, which may cause you intense pain and the urge to vomit. After that, I will have to… to…" She turned to Shizune, a thoughtful expression on her face as she attempted to think of another lie.

"We have to make sure that nothing 'down there' is falling off." The kage's assistant said straight faced.

Naruto looked at her, looked to Lady Tsunade, looked at all of the healing nin around the room, and then passed out. Lady Tsunade managed to catch him before he hit the ground and laid him back down on the surgery table.

"This is going to make it easier." A healing nin off to the side stated, moving in as the rest of the doctors did.

Lady Tsunade smirked. "Project, Impregnate the Uchiha's Manwife, is in session…"

* * *

Sasuke came home to something… different.

Different being that his husband was staring unseeingly at a full bowl of ramen with 'haunted' written all over his pale face.

His first thought? Someone is going to die, and do so very painfully. If it was another person who had degraded Naruto or who had beaten on him again, he would give them no second chances. Civility and manners be damned.

However, the moment Naruto saw him standing there, Sasuke became the bearer of a quivering, demon-containing, blue-eyed blonde as he began whispering things to himself. Sasuke stared at the crown of Naruto's head with growing anger and puzzlement. Honestly, what could have happened that was so bad?

"I'm dying!"

…A very cold dread began to wind down Sasuke's whole entire body, his hands became sweaty with the chill as he stared just pass Naruto's head to the ground. It was the worst feeling he had had since he had seen his parents dead and his brother leaning over them.

"Shouldn't Kyuubi be… healing you?" He attempted to remain calm, being an Uchiha and all demanded that he not break. Unfortunately, the dobe had been in his life for a time too long for him not to distance himself.

Sure, he had tried to kill the blonde himself a few times, but that was different. He was damn well allowed to. The fact that something, not even someone, but something else was killing him… wow.

He was having a Gaara moment. He had heard Gaara's explanation of his affections for Lee; they seemed pretty accurate right now.

"He should be! That overgrown rat says there's nothing wrong and that Tsunade just pulled one over on me, but she was so serious about it! She had a whole team there, and a surgery room was already reserved! Damn it, teme-bastard, I'm dying!"

Some of the cold dread was beginning to leak away, something being brought to the light.

"… What did she say was wrong with you?"

"She said I was having internal bleeding, malnutrition, and that my dick is falling off! - Hey!"

Naruto landed with a crash against the opposite wall, rubbing at the back of his head as he looked up at Sasuke with fury and shock.

"What they hell was that for, teme!?"

Sasuke was massaging his temples, his moment of horror gone entirely. "You are too gullible."

Naruto growled. "What are you talking about, teme? I'm dying! Lady Tsunade said so!" He sat up, preparing himself to leap upon the bastard. "I bet you're just loving this! I'm suffering and you'll be standing there laughing!" Naruto paused, considered his words, and shuddered. "Don't laugh, that'd be creepy, better believe it!"

Naruto met the wall again; as a matter of fact, he met the wall after that as well. He lived neither visit. Sasuke, however, stood at the entry of the first whole, anger radiating off of him as he stood there, clean and pristine, as he destroyed his own house in order to teach his uke husband common sense.

"You-" Naruto swung at him, but was only thrown back again. "are-" Sasuke grabbed the cursing boy and shoved him against the wall. "not-" He shot backwards, allowing the fist that had just nearly connected with his face fall short and then leaned his body to one side as the blonde attempted to tackle him. "dying!" He thrust his knee into the other's stomach.

Naruto landed on the ground, cursing and growling as he stared up at his lover with fury. "What do you know, teme!"

"I know Lady Tsunade tricked you."

The blonde blinked once, twice, seemed to think back on what had happened, and then horror set over his face.

"Holy shit, that old hag tricked me!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes; he should be used to Naruto's slowness. Sadly, when he had accepted Naruto as his husband and his lover, he had also accepted the other's stupidity. He looked down at the other's sky blue eyes and golden hair that even now gleamed, and decided it wasn't that bad. Uchiha's were naturally attracted to beauty, his only came with a small price compared to others.

"Why the hell did she trick me for?"

The raven-haired boy gritted his teeth, and then became entirely slack as a thought occurred to him.

Orochimaru was dead, both Konoha and Suna were nearly entirely back to normal since the wars they had taken part of 21 years ago, and he and Naruto had an almost normal schedule.

He smirked, lending a hand to the befuzzled blonde, who stared at his hand cautiously before taking it. He was jerked up… right into a kiss with the Uchiha.

He actually thought about kneeing him one in revenge, then decided he was too horny and moved instantly into the contact. It was nearly two minutes later when they separated, Naruto covered in a red blush as Sasuke continued to smirk.

"You can find out in nine months if we get to it tonight."

Naruto's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "What happens in nine months?"

Regardless, they had a very good night.

Sasuke plans for Naruto to come home one day of the week and scream bloody murder at him for getting him pregnant, but it was very well worth it.

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Mah, I think I made Sasuke OOC… I could have done better, but I wanted to get to it while the idea was fresh in my mind. The idea came from just a girl two. Have fun with it, people! Reviews are lovely little things…


	22. Time To Kick Ass

_Someone dies tonight… And they will do so painfully._

So, I went to Jun's this morning… And the strangest thing one could think could happen… happened.

Alright, so… Jun's my little bro as far as I'm concerned; anyone who believes differently can kiss my ass and bark at the moon. If someone were to… oh, I don't know… molest him? Someone dies painfully; namely the person who molested him.

Which is why there is chakra centered into my hands and feet as I balance on the side of the building overlooking Jun's training with his team. Honestly, I don't know why they still come together; they graduated and are jounin now, usually teams only come together for missions by that point. I know I would rather avoid my own team unless it was necessary.

But that's not the point here; all I care about is what I smelled when I got to Jun's this morning: someone else… _on_ Jun.

Holy fucking shit, someone had sexual intercourse with my baby brother.

So, I am doing what any older sister would do for their baby brother, I am tracking the bastard down, and then I'm sicking Oki on him. I assume it's a him, I didn't smell any estrogen or female heat; only male. And a scent I knew fairly well…

_Samaie, if you don't stop touching Jun, I shall kill you now, right in front of him. No bullshit about it._

Of course, Jun would be pissed at me if I did that, but it has to be done. No one touches Jun like that, he's innocent. Damn it, he was supposed to be a virgin from day of birth to day of death. If he doesn't follow through with that, he might get preggars just like all of the other guys in our family. Think about how many boys want to jump his bones! The terror… If he takes one on, there are going to be dozens waiting for the breakup.

_Jun, stop blushing! It looks too cute! Samaie, if you don't stop looking at him like that, I shall bite yo face! Then what will you look at him with? And if you say your dick, I will go all sadistic on yo ass!_

Growling, I begin the crawl down. This ends now, and I mean right. Now.

When I enter the clearing, cool as can be, Samaie looks at me as if he had been waiting for me to come down… acting like a know-it-all-bastard. He reminds me of Roo-roo, except roo-roo is more jumpy, joyful, and strange… like his mommy.

Jun looks at me with shock and happiness, Hito looks as if he wants to jump me. Well, Hito, bring it on, I feel like murdering scum right now.

"Aya!" The honey-haired boy glomped me, nearly crashing us to the ground as he snuggled into my breasts like some little kid. He was having a roo-roo moment, I let him have it.

When Hito snickered, I growled at him; the coward shut right up. I stroked Jun's hair, twitching my nose as the overpowering scent of someone else teased my nostrils.

It was another reason why Jun needed to remain a virgin; it was confusing enough when I was surrounded by all of the adults and those horndogs of brothers of ours. Kanaye and Roo-roo need to lay off the make out-sessions; they're lucky enough they haven't actually had sex yet.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were trying to teach Oki that new jutsu…?" Jun looks up at me questioningly.

From behind my back, I pull out the random pack of chips I had brought with me.

Smirking, I revel in the look of jealousy Samaie has on his face when Jun bear hugs me to get the chips.

_My baby brother; don't touch him again, you dirty bastard._

Happily munching on the sweet and sour chips, he tilts his head curiously. "Is this all you came here for?"

I smile easily, placating the look of wariness on his face by patting his head; it only seemed to make it worse, but that 's okay. I'm not here to put him at ease; just to make sure that he's safe.

"Nope, I wanted to train with lover boy over there!"

He seems to get a little sad as I gesture to the molesting bastard, but I have no idea why. I might have to go looking through his diary sometime soon…

Samaie stood up, glaring at me; he knows _exactly_ why I was here.

"This is team training…"

Jun blinked in surprise, looking between us as we tried to glare each other down. Oki started growling at my side, moving to stand between the violet-haired boy and the our baby bro. Jun looked horrified.

"Oki, bad girl!" I heard a whimper, looked down to see the whipped-dog look on her face, and then looked at Jun with shock.

Did he just yell at Oki? Holy shit, he did…

Must be some alternate universe I stepped through; I've never heard Jun yell before… unless it was in denial, but that's something different.

"Fine, I'll… 'train'… with you… Just don't get upset if I kick your ass, mutt."

Now Jun looked to Samaie with horror on his face. "Samaie! How dare you insult my best friend!"

I smirk, sticking a tongue out at the guilt that instantly swamped his face.

"And you!" The sharp tone wipes the smirk right off of my face as Jun points accusingly at me, the bag of chips held forgotten in his other hand. "Stop teasing him! You love to be such a smart aleck, it's confusing me! Sometimes, I just don't know who's side I should take!"

… I'm whining like Oki is, that's kind of sad…

Shame prompts me to dip my chin to my chest and stare at the grass, rubbing my foot back and forth in it. Hito is laughing his ass off, and I really want to hit him, but that might just upset Jun more.

"Don't think I've forgotten you!" There was a sound of flesh hitting flesh, a loud exclamation of surprise, and a 'thud'.

My head shot up, just in time to witness blood spurting out of Hito's nose as he hit the ground, Jun standing over him with his fist still balled and gasping for breath.

"Stop stalking Arune, and leave my family alone!"

There was a shocked silence for nearly three minutes. I look to Samaie, who blinks and then looks to Jun, who continues to glare down at Hito who is staring back at him with a 'WTF?' expression on his face.

Then I glomped him.

"JUN, I LOVE YOU!!!" I snuggle against him, feeling insanely proud in my little bro. Then, against his will, if his whining and shoving is any indication, I pick him up and start jogging away. "I'm going to go treat you to some BBQ, then we'll go get some ice cream, then we'll go back to my house and we'll watch bug daddy try to understand us as we dance to your favorite songs-"

Abruptly, I stop, Jun being quiet as I seduced him with his favorite things, and think back…

"Damn it!"

He looks up, startled. "What?"

_I still haven't kicked Samaie's ass…_

I pat his head, shaking my head as I take a deep breath. "You just make me feel too proud sometimes, I forget what I'm supposed to be doing."

Oki hmphed, and I snarled at him.

"If you remembered, you could have reminded me!"

"What are you talking about?" Jun asks, beginning to struggle again.

"Nothing that you have to worry about…" I answer regretfully.

You sly bastard, I will get you… very soon, you shall suffer.

"Hey, Jun, how do you feel about signing into a monastery?"

"What!?"

"Just think about it…"


	23. Uke revenge that does not last

"Naruto-kun! It is wonderful to see you again!"

"Hey, what're we here for, anyway?"

"I brought snacks for everyone."

Kiba shuffled in with Akamaru by his side, allowing himself to fall backwards on the couch in the living room with a 'thump' where he sprawled. For the day, Shino was watching Kouga, Naruto having unexpectedly dragged him from his home to this location; along the way, he had also stopped at a few windows and screamed for Chouji, Lee, and Iruka to get off their butts and follow him.

Iruka stepped through the door of the Uchiha complex, looking perturbed and confused as he sat down next to Kiba with Makato in his lap. Lee bear-hugged Naruto, yelling loudly about how lovely it was to see them all again as he moved on to deliver the same treatment upon everyone in the room. Once reaching Makato, whom Iruka gave up only reluctantly, knowing Lee wouldn't hurt him, but still cautious of the other's strength, the small white-haired boy took it as a prompt to kiss Lee on the lips and then madly clap his hands. Confounded, Lee handed Makato back to his 'not-so-horrified-because-he-should-have-known-it-was-coming' mommy.

Naruto looked as if he were about to implode, hands fists at his side as he grit his teeth.

"SIT DOWN!"

Shocked, Lee did so, as well as Chouji who had been standing and eating his chips.

"We're not here for a little get-together! We're here because our husbands are jack asses!"

Each of the 'mothers' blinked, then looked among themselves. Then, one by one, they looked back to the fairly radiating boy.

"Kakashi is a pervert and when he's late, he always has a lousy excuse… Is that what you're talking about?" Iruka asked, Makato grabbing his pontytail to pull him down so he could kiss the tip of his mom's nose, then madly began clapping again. Irritation showed on his face.

"I think your husband's contagious…" Chouji observed, a look of hesitation crossing his face as the child reached out to him. With a sigh, Iruka gave his child to him, which Chouji handled carefully, eyeing the child as he eyed him with joy. A moment later, Chouji yelped as his man boob was grabbed, his eyes wide as saucers as he handed the child back.

"He is merely acting upon his fiery youth and seizing it earlier than most, that is all!" Lee defended, pumping a fist into the air. Makato turned his eyes back to him, and reached out once more. With no qualm, Lee grabbed the child again to hug him, and then quickly gave him back before he could be kissed again; Makato looked so neglected…

So he crawled onto Kiba and kissed him instead; it brought the dog nin back from wherever he had been.

"Iruka-Sensei, you're baby's a horn ball." He stated, holding the child at arm's length as he handed him to Iruka, who grabbed him and glared at Kiba.

"I know, but you shouldn't treat him as if he's a disease." For his defense, he was rewarded a kiss on the cheek from his son, who began clapping again.

"CAN WE FOCUS!?"

Silence reigned as five pairs of eyes looked at him, then Makato pouted, and turned into his mommy's chest, feigning pain as he had seen his father do on so many occasions.

Kiba scowled. "You're being serious? Wow, that's a first…"

Lee shook his head, eyes in awe as he stared at his blonde friend. "You are being adamant today, Naruto…" He pumped a hand into the air again. "It is youthful!"

"Bushy Brows," Naruto growled, eyes closed in anger. "I'm trying to make a point, here."

A shocked silence, then Chouji's bag of chips dropped to the ground and Iruka slouched against the couch in a near-faint. Lee looked as if he were about to cry with joy.

"Then go on, my fiery friend! Make your point!" Tears fell down his cheeks as he made the 'fist of resolution'. "It must be something extraordinary if it has captivated you into such a state of obsession!"

"I ALREADY MADE MY POINT!" Naruto roared, blue fire spitting in his eyes.

Iruka came fully back into himself, Makato was now whimpering as he looked at Naruto with hurt in his eyes. Kiba had a 'WTF?' look on his face, and Chouji had picked his bag of chips up off the floor and had begun munching again. Lee looked thoughtful, going back on what had already been said to try and figure out what the point had been.

"Our husbands are… jack asses?" Chouji questioned carefully, asking with his eyes if he had gotten that right as he looked back up at the blonde.

"Yes!" The blonde answered loudly. "Our husbands are just a bunch of teme-bastards!" Then, thoughtfully, he weaved his fingers together behind his head. "We need to punish them!"

Lee looked horrified. "But there is nothing that I must punish Gaara for!"

Chouji shrugged, looking at his bag of chips. "Shikamaru's lazy… but I don't see a reason why I should punish him for that… He's been lazy his whole life, nothing's going to change that now…"

"If I had ever had a chance to stop Kakashi from being such a pervert, it has long passed me by." Iruka added, looking irritated with the fact. Makato gurgled, happy with it, he did seem to be.

"Hell yeah, I'm up for it!" Kiba pumped his fist, a large, canine grin on his face even as Akamaru barked in a agreement. "Shino could always be taught a new lesson."

Naruto smirked. "Better believe it!"

He turned to the three men who remained stubborn or indecisive. He became grumpy when he saw the resolve on Lee's face.

"Aw, come on, Bushy Brows!" He put both hands to his hips, attempting to stare down his friend. "You can't think of one thing you want to get back at red for?"

Lee shook his head, maintaining hold on Naruto's eyes the whole time.

Naruto hmphed. Kiba decided to come to his rescue, a smirk on his face as he turned on Lee.

"You mean you can't remember that time he jumped you right in front of Bushier Brows? I can, and that was hilarious, how Bushier Brows just fell down there and acted like he had a heart attack."

One expressive eyebrow twitched, he refused to break gazes with Naruto.

"How about that time he took Roo-roo out, and then lost him? I remember that, he came home all cool-looking and then said 'Arune is lost, I'll send the search team out'… Honestly, I didn't know he could lose someone, did you know that?"

Both eyebrows twitched, he still didn't look away.

"Hey! I remember that time he nearly Sand Coffined that one guy's ass just for putting his hand on your shoulder and telling you how well you did on your mission! Gaara was really jealous that time!" Naruto added, snickering as one of Lee's eyes twitched.

"I'm sorry, Bushy Brows…" Chouji said sadly, unable to contain himself. "But I remember that time when he actually started sand coffining Sakura because she said you looked cute when you started growing your hair out into a ponytail…" He munches on his chips, unable to look up at his friend, who he felt he had just betrayed. "Your husband is the really jealous type… Sometimes, I just don't understand how he can say he has absolute trust in you, then tries to kill anyone who touches you…"

"Your husband is insecure, but that doesn't mean you need to get talked into what ever they're planning to do." Iruka said sternly, eyes dark on Naruto as the blonde continued to lean over the raven-haired man.

Lee took strength from it, and straightened his shoulders out, face going stony once again. Naruto pouted, and Kiba scowled. Chouji took a sigh of relief, and Iruka eyed Naruto cautiously.

"Aww, man… Well, what did you want to do, anyway?" Kiba asked the pouting blonde.

With a spin, Naruto's smirk was back full voltage. "We aren't going to have sex with those horny bastards until they learn a lesson!"

…

The silence was so thick with horror and disbelief, Makato began hyperventilating and Chouji choked. Kiba appeared as if he had forgotten to breathe, and Lee nearly collapsed to the ground. Iruka just looked as if he couldn't believe what his once-student had just said. Naruto remained oblivious to their shock, he just began to rub his hands together as he continued plotting payback.

"They won't know what hit 'em! They'll just go around, being their normal horny bastard selves, and we'll just hold out on them till they learn that we've got choice too!"

Kiba blinked, one of his hands tangling into the fur of Akamaru's head as the dog looked curiously around at all of the horrified men and one baby man. "What… does Sasuke do to you?" His thready voice asked in a whisper. Chouji seconded the question with a small 'yeah…', and Iruka just became red in the face.

"Do I have to kill him?" He asked, Makato finally catching his breath as the tension melted away into fire.

"Must we teach your husband a lesson so that he treats you as an equal!?" Lee shouted, fist of resolution, fire-spitting eyes, and all…

"He got me pregnant!"

There was an awkward silence where Lee wilted back into the chair, Chouji gaped his mouth open and shut as he attempted to make sense of that, Iruka continued with his murderous thoughts, Kiba snorted, then began laughing loudly, Akamaru tilted his head curiously, and Makato began madly clapping his hands.

"I thought you wanted a baby?" Chouji finally managed to say, entirely confused.

"When did you get the surgery?" Lee seconded.

"I do! And that's the point, I never got the surgery!" Naruto nearly screamed. Makato continued clapping, and now Iruka looked slightly ill. Kiba stopped laughing with the admission.

"What do ya mean, you never got the surgery?"

"I went to Tsunade's yesterday 'cause ramen was making me sick, and I thought I was finally dying, and she did this screening thing, took my blood, looked into my stomach, and told me I was pregnant!" Naruto spread his arms wide in honesty, eyes wide as he stared at all of the other men.

"What do you mean, finally dying?" There was alarm in Iruka's voice.

"Two weeks ago, Tsunade called me in and said that I had this thing and this other and another thing and that I was dying, and Kyuubi couldn't do anything about it, but she had a special team on hold that would make everything better! She said she had to look at my belly and my di-… well, you know!"

1

2

3

Chouji and Kiba burst out laughing, Lee began chuckling, and Iruka looked murderous. Akamaru looked to Makato, who looked back and decided he liked the dog's fluffy ears, grabbed one, and rubbed his face against it.

"Naruto-kun, you are not dying… That was the surgery!" Lee rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes closed in consideration. "I do not know why she would wish to trick you, though… Maybe because she thought Sasuke-san would be unwilling…?"

"Nah, Sasuke had to have figured this out the moment Naruto explained it to him." Kiba said around his laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over with it.

"That is so sad!" Chouji tried to sound sad, but failed as he put a hand over his mouth to try and stifle his own laughter.

Naruto began growling. "Just shut it, would ya!? It doesn't matter, we just have to get back at them, better believe it!" "Iruka-sensei! Don't you want to get back at Kakashi for being such a perv!?" He said, pointing at the brunette, then he twirled his finger to Kiba. "How 'bout you? Just do it 'cause Shino acts like such a know-it-all!" The finger swiveled to Chouji, who looked at it with fear. "Shikamaru's so lazy, just hold out on him so he knows how it feels!" He looked at Lee, who remained certain of his beliefs despite the doubt that now showed on everyone else's face.

He stood there for a moment, a scowl on his face as he thought of a way to crack the green-clad jounin. Then he smirked. He had such a good idea right now, it was going to shock everyone!

He feigned indifference as he put both hands behind his head and turned his back on Lee. "Ah, I bet you couldn't do it anyway… You'd be just as horny as red if you went so long without it… I mean, come on, Bushy Brows, not even you have that great of self-control…"

There was shock on everyone's face, including Akamaru and Makato; they could not believe that Naruto had just came up with that on his own…

Lee, on the other end, was colored red with rage and shame. "I could most certainly go any distance of time without it!" He said sternly, closing his eyes in his certainty. Naruto smirked, as did Kiba, who leaned over Makato and Iruka to whisper to Lee.

"I don't know… I mean, you two are pretty open 'bout your sex life… what with what we all saw in the training fields that one day… I didn't know you were such a uke, but you showed me!"

Lee turned red with embarrassment, but kept his arms crossed.

Naruto turned his back on him again. "Mah, he can't do it-"

He was spun right back around, and his hand was gripped tightly between Lee's tightly bound ones. "I can go any amount of time without it!"

"How 'bout a week?"

Lee, after a moment of faltering, rose his head high. "Only a week?"

"Yep…"

On that day, Iruka, Chouji, Kiba, Lee, and Naruto swore to abstinence for a whole week.

That night, when they slipped into bed with their husbands, they were molested for holding out, and never spoke of the agreement again.

It was extremely hard to fight for a virtue they didn't want.


	24. How We Broke It To Gaara

"Hey, Kanaye… Why do you think mommy looks upset?"

The redhead looked up from the script he had been studying, his eyes dull with boredom as he looked at his chichi, then turned his head to Minamaru who was staring with confusion at him.

"He most likely couldn't meet a goal."

Minamaru tilted his head, staring at their mommy, who continued to stare blankly at the surface of the table.

"Shouldn't he be carrying out the punishment, then?"

Again, Kanaye looked up from the text to look out of the window to see where the sun rest in the sky. Then he looked back to the script, scowled, and rolled the ancient scroll back into itself.

"He is."

Minamaru squinted his eyes, trying to see the punishment in having a staring contest with the kitchen table, and couldn't find it. He had found that his mommy had two different types of punishments.

When his mommy was pregnant, he limited himself to punishments that didn't include stressing his baby; he had learned that thanks to Koi. The other was to do anything physical that others would think impossible, and he would do that anytime he wasn't pregnant.

He wasn't pregnant, so why wasn't he somewhere executing an impossible exercise?

"What's he doing?"

Kanaye's eyes swiveled from watching his chichi, to giving an incredulous look directed at Minamaru. Then he sighed in irritation.

"Arune, what time is it?"

Minamaru blinked, looked to the clock set on the wall, and then looked uncomprehendingly at Kanaye.

"It's 12 in the morning… Why?"

Kanaye rolled his eyes.

"And where's chichi usually at this time of day?"

Minamaru stared at the table thoughtfully, then his mouth dropped open in shock. He looked back up to Kanaye with that shock painted all over his face.

"No way!"

Kanaye nodded.

"Way."

"No way!"

Kanaye nodded again, irritated this time.

"Way."

"No way!"

"Damn it, there's clearly a way!"

Minamaru stopped asking, and looked to the stiff figure of his mommy who did not even look up at Kanaye as he swore. He just stared at the table without blinking, not even seeming to be in his own head.

"What could have been so important about his goal that he's not having his afternoon screw with raccoon-daddy?"

There was a number of seconds where neither said a word, and then their discovery came back to them and struck both cold. Minamaru, with horror, turned to Kanaye, who had turned to him with apprehension on his face.

"That means… that raccoon-daddy is going to be here soon… doesn't it?"

Kanaye nodded slowly to Minamaru's question, taking a subtle gulp as his father's chakra touched on the edge of his awareness.

"We might want to get out of here now."

Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Minamaru around the waist, made a symbol against his forehead, and they both disappeared in a swirl of sand.

Three minutes later, Gaara stepped through the front door and walked purposefully into the kitchen. Upon entering the room, his eyes focused predatorily on the leaf jounin, turned wife of the kazekage, who continued to stare down at the table. The clenching of the older man's fists against his knees would take someone with extraordinary observance to notice.

Unluckily for him, Gaara was one of those extraordinary people, and stared down at his hands with narrowed eyes.

"You didn't come to my office at 12. It's now 12:01... What are you doing?"

He roamed his eyes up from the fists of his husband, to his chest to his eyes that remained fixedly downward. Gaara did not even bat an eyelash at the lack of greeting, he only moved forward until he stood next to the sitting male, and stared down at him.

"Is this a defiance for my seducing you last night?"

He was given no answer from the leaf, who continued to not even blink. The redhead turned his eyes to the sky outside, then looked back.

"You are acting stupid."

Finally, a reaction was forced out of Lee as he shot his head up and glared at his husband with fire burning in his eyes.

"I am not acting stupid! You were acting unfair!"

He clenched his hands tightly now, hurt entering his eyes.

"I had given my word that I would assist Naruto-kun in avenging himself against his stubborn lover by way celibacy! It was to last no longer than a week, and then we could indulge once again!"

He sulked, looking sideways toward the cabinet instead of at Gaara, his hands going limp against his thighs.

"I was not even able to reign in my desire for one night! Imagine how disappointed Gai-Sensei would be in me if he knew I failed so terribly in reaching a goal!"

Gaara no longer paid attention, focused more on Lee's last statement.

"What is it that Naruto wanted vengeance for?"

Lee looked up at Gaara, startled.

"You mean he has not told you yet? I would have sworn that Naruto-kun would have never been able to contain such wonderful news!"

"What is it?"

Lee smiled largely, leaping off of his chair and onto the table. Within less than a second, he was posed 'nice guy' style, and was as happy as if he had not failed his Sensei.

"Sasuke-san has sired Naruto-kun's child! Within nine months, there shall be a young, fiery Uzumaki-Uchiha running about, spreading joy and laughter!"

He stood there, posed, for nearly seven minutes. Gaara stood there, frozen with his questioning gaze still on his face, for the same amount of time. After that, Lee began to wilt, his eyebrows drawing slightly together and his arm falling slowly as he watched his husband stand so stiffly.

He leaned down, bracing himself on one hand, as he reached out with the other. He cupped his husband's face in his palm, and then leaned down so that their eyes were level.

"Gaara? My red devil? Are you alright-"

Lee nearly fell off of the table as his face was grabbed between bruising fingers and pulled him forward until their noses were touching. Staring into his husband's sea-foam colored eyes, Lee realized he _might _have made a mistake by being the one to tell Gaara the news.

"What do you mean, Naruto is pregnant?"

Held as he was, Lee nodded with his eyes instead. Beneath his breath, Gaara cursed. He released Lee and began pacing the kitchen.

"You think that Uchiha would come to me for approval. I am considered Naruto's family, I should damn well know when someone plans on getting him pregnant…"

He stopped in his tracks and looked to the dumfounded Lee, who could only stare back uncomprehendingly.

"Your hokage… She would have had approved Naruto's surgery, she planned this. I was given no warning, no assertion of this."

Finally, Lee caught up to speed. He jumped onto the floor and took a stance familiar to those he was about to prove a point to.

"Gaara, Naruto-kun is old enough to make his own choices! True, Sasuke-san might have made them for him by impregnating him without his knowledge, and Hokage-sama may have done so as well by lying to him about what the surgery was for, but that does not mean that everything that is done to him must be cleared by you!"

Gaara stared incredulously at Lee, who blinked, and then looked up. His words came back to him, and his eyes widened as his mouth formed a small 'o'.

"Then again… Maybe it is your calling to watch over our dear friend…"

Gaara stared for a moment longer, than sighed. He reached out to his husband and pulled the older man to him where he gently captured Lee's lips.

"I knew there was a reason I married you…"

Proudly, Lee smiled, a small blush across his cheeks. Gaara tugged at him once, pulling him flush against his body, than a swirl of sand began around them, prepared to take them away somewhere else. Koi was with Chouji, so there was no reason why they had to have sex in the house.

"I need you for when Naruto doesn't tell me things."

Lee pouted again, feigning hurt as Gaara, ever so subtly, smirked.

"Hey!"

Whatever protest he had was stopped when the other kissed him again.

If one looked close enough, the redhead's shoulders were shaking.


	25. Intruders?

I can not believe it…

I mean, I can, but… This is wonderful.

For the first time since I realized I had a crush on my teammate, he was coming into my house.

It holds a different feeling than from when he was just another friend. I felt like I should be pointing things out and introducing him to my parents all over again. I felt like I was going to implode trying not to reintroduce him. Luckily, I had something to help stop me from acting that stupid.

"You look so excited, Nara, did Aya let you eat her out of her home?"

"Her _name_ is Amaya, only her _close_ friends get to call her Aya…"

Good mood ruined, I just take off my sandals at the door, and walk straight-backed into my own home.

"I didn't know she had that many friends. I hear that not that many people like mutts."

I want to turn around and attack him, I do… But the last time I had gotten violent with him had been two days ago; that's hardly enough time to wind myself back up.

"I hear not that many people like selfish ass holes."

As Hito sputtered, just appalled that someone had just referred to him as such, I looked to my crush out of the corner of my eyes.

"Thank you."

He returns my smile, and then winks. I wished he hadn't winked, because I can feel my face turn red. Quickly, I turn my head away, hoping he hadn't caught it.

Sadly, Hito did. How do I know? Because he can never keep his big mouth shut! And he won't stop laughing.

"Aww, is little Jun turned on by the flower boy?"

Even before Samaie, _I_ snap. I've been told that I'm pretty even-tempered, but there's only so much teasing I can take on behalf of my loved ones. He flexes his arm, catching my fist easily.

He needs to remember to look down.

After all, I _am_ the shadow boy.

I stand up straight, and he follows suit. I begin cackling at the look of panic on his face. I have caught him with this one time and time again, and it never gets old.

After a while, though, it just makes me feel like the bad guy. Not two seconds after capturing him, I let him go. He reminds me of a horse tied down with a lasso every time he gets that panicked look in his eyes.

I love horses too much to trap them.

If Samaie had wished for me to hold Hito any longer, he didn't let on. Peeking at him from underneath my eyelashes, he closes his eyes slowly before opening them.

Interpretation: You did the right thing, don't play his game.

Hito sputters again, starts cursing about how filthy I am, and begins to walk out of my house. That actually makes me happy, I don't want him talking with that language in front of my parents, and I am tired of him making fun of my house.

There was a 'crack!' from upstairs, and Hito paused. We all paused, even stopped breathing for a moment. I hadn't sensed anyone home, and, clearly, no one else had.

Instantly, Samaie went into leader mode. He shifted silently, masking his chakra signal, and gestured for us to do the same.

Hito, who would rather not be a follower, attempted to rebel by carelessly placing his feet apart, and not masking his presence.

I think he wouldn't mind getting us killed.

That rebellion made the floor creak. So ended Hito's rebellion as Samaie grabbed him in a headlock and motioned for me to get to the top of the stairs to investigate.

I landed without a sound on the railing of the hallway, tilting my body slightly to peek down the way. The crash had came from my parent's room. I doubt it was a robbery, no one would be that desperate for money that they'd rob the home of well known shinobi…

I think.

A creak from my parent's room perked my ears. I leaned back and to the left for better footing on the slight surface I stood on. Around my waist came the ever helpful grip of my team captain, and the fiery blush that always came with it. Luckily, he was never facing me when that happened.

He put his fingertips against my neck and motioned with them, a safer way of talking without making it obvious. When he was done, I nodded.

We broke, crawling silently on opposing walls, to my parent's door. I waited for his signal to open the door, seeing as I was on wall it rested on.

I'm kind of scared… What if my parents are still here? What if this guy knew exactly what he was doing when he came here, and assassinated them?

I don't feel so good anymore…

I look directly across from me, and Sadaie is entirely calm. It helps center me, somewhat. After all, my parents, they're strong. They're most likely not here, they most likely have no idea, it's most likely just a break in from someone really desperate…

I just barely catch the flicker of fingers as he signals. Stealing a breath, I grab the knob and twist it fast, pushing the door wide open as we both swung ourselves into the closed in space.

…

There was one moment of silence…

…

Another moment…

…

And a third… Then-

"OH MY GOSH!!!!! MOM!!! DAD!!!!!"

Twisting my whole body around violently, I rub hard at my eyes.

It was one thing when I caught them just having sex, I was actually kind of used to that by now…

It was another thing when my mom was bound and my dad wearing leather. The thing that had made that 'crack!' sound? The whip that my dad was holding…

I don't think I'm going to be sleeping for a long time. This is just mortifying.

"I… I think all's good… here…"

Samaie grabbed my by the elbow and forced me out of the room. I heard the door slam shut behind us, and a crash. Hardly a second after the crash, I landed on Samaie who was pressed against the wall he must have knocked himself into.

I grabbed around, managed to find something to hold onto, and then ran, blinded, to my room. I ran into a stand, and heard Samaie trip behind me. Otherwise, I had it down pretty well how to get to my room after such things.

I slammed this door shut, and then collapsed to the ground where I furiously rubbed at my eyes.

It was… well, it was something to learn that my dad had a leather fetish. I would have expected that from Aya's dad, or Kanaye's… Not mine. The bondage? Yeah, I would have thought that would be Kanaye's dad too.

There was a sliding sound before I realized that Samaie was panting close to my ear.

"Wow… That was… unexpected… Why do you think they had blocked their signatures?"

I shook my head, trying to clear the images out.

"I think… they heard us come in… and then… I- I don't know…"

We sat there for a while longer. After a few minutes, I dared to open my eyes. After blinking continuously, I discovered that I could see.

Who would have known?

"Where's Hito?"

"I ordered him to leave… I guess I should have forced him to go first."

Against my own will, I laughed. I would have loved to see Hito's expression when he saw my parents at it.

"Your parents… they are… adventurous… aren't they?"

I nodded, looking down at my hands and how they contrasted with the wooden floor.

"I once caught them role playing… I don't ever want to see that again."

"It's surprising that they go to such lengths for their sex life."

I flinched at how lightly he used the word. I was never even able to say _sex _out loud without stuttering, but he's able to say _sex life_?

"Isn't your father supposed to be extremely lazy and your other just as much so?"

I love how he doesn't insult my parents. Other people think that they're just target practice. I nod slowly.

I may be their only child, but I have no idea how my father was somehow capable of mustering the strength to explore sex in it's entirety, but he still can't bring himself to flush the toilet most days.

"… How much like your parents are you?"

My eyebrows draw together, confused from where that had came from. Finally, I look up from the ground to where he's sitting beside me. Kneeling as I am, he's the width of a hair shorter than me. It makes me feel even more small, just because he's entirely sat down.

"I think so most of the time… why?"

I blink, and feel myself go on fire as he smirked and something… well, something that I see in everyone of these horny people surrounding me, shows itself in his eyes.

"Just wondering…"

… I must be dreaming again…

There would be no other reason he would be kissing me.


	26. Not Without Pain

"Gaara! You must stop where are you are, right now!"

I am so grateful that I managed to leave Koi with Gai-Sensei today.

I should have not told Gaara that Naruto-kun was having Sasuke-san's child yesterday. I should not have told him at _all._

I had thought the problem had been resolved. I honestly had! We had been made the most beautiful love, dampened only by my sworn word that I would not be swooned by him for two weeks in punishment for the week I could not complete; and heightened by our forced separation during the two-week duration after the birth of my youthfully beautiful daughter, Koi!

Except… I had waken up this morning, and he had already been dressed and walking out of the door. I had thought that there was a meeting he must get to, and that was when it occurred to me!

Gaara had no meeting today!

I had followed him silently for only ten minutes before realizing where he was off to. He was heading directly for the Uchiha complex where Sasuke-san and Naruto-kun resided!

Had Gaara not just disappeared in a swirl of sand, I would have grabbed him, but I had only been able to give out that one cry before he disappeared.

I think he knows I was following him.

I stood there dully for a moment, attempting to think of a way to beat Gaara there so I could warn the newly expecting couple, when something very strange happened.

Out of a door near me, Hito-san was thrown out, smug about something. I caught a glimpse of Samaie-san, but he placed his finger to his lips upon seeing me, signing for me to be silent.

I blinked, looked at Hito who appeared to be laughing, then to the silently closed door.

Then I focused on the matter at hand.

Gaara is going to attempt to kill Sasuke-san, I just know it!

With all speed, I raced to the mansion. I had to make sure that Naruto-kun did not have to fight to defend his most special person in his condition. I am sure, that if the worst comes to, that they could easily find a new home…

Ow…

I almost stop running, but force myself to continue. As I run, the pain in my abdomen begins to throb. This isn't right, Hokage-sama herself had looked to healing me after my C-section. Yet…

This is not coming from my newly sealed womb…

I ran right through the door of the Uchiha complex, catching out of the corner of my eye Naruto-kun standing in front of Sasuke-san who was attempting to stand in front of the youthful blonde, and Gaara who had his gourd uncapped. I heard Naruto-kun screaming at Gaara for him to leave the Sasuke-teme to him, and that he needed no assistance in teaching the raven-haired boy a lesson. Then I crashed into the wall, where I grabbed onto my belly and retched.

"Hey, Bushy brows?"

I took my hand away from my mouth, looking to the blood there, then to Naruto-kun who had abandoned the two men standing off against each other. He looked from my eyes to the blood, and then turned as pale as I am sure I am. My other hand twisted the spandex I am wearing.

"Naru-"

I retched again, a great acidic pain seeming to unravel my intestines. I had never before experienced such pain… not when Gaara had broken me, not even with either of my children's birth. This was…

My head hit the gravel of the destroyed wall, and Naruto-kun finally panicked.

I know I am prone to do such stupid things that people are not immediately worried about me when I begin bleeding from anywhere, but I think that, when I curl up into a fetal position, no more is needed.

If I can not stand up and walk to Hokage-sama, I shall -…

Ow…

"Gaara! Something's wrong with Bushy Brows!"

There was a crash in the background, and I turned my head towards it. I was able to see something foggy… I think it is Naruto-kun's outline…

"Hey! I'm serious over here! Stop trying to kill each other for ONE GOD DAMN MOMENT!!"

There were more crashes that followed after, but they began to mute as a constant sound began to reach my ears. It sounded as if someone were panting-… Oh… That would be me.

"Can't you two be he-men later!?"

I bite my lip savagely, feeling something crawl up my throat and tickle me there.

"Damn it, I'll break you two up if I have to!"

There were more crashes, but they sounded like paper flapping at this point…

Someone loud, and desperately in pain, screamed. I wonder who that could be…

Again, oh…

Something warm is wrapped around me, but the moment it touched me, I began thrashing. It hurt too much to let it touch me. What was it they were trying to touch me with?

"Hey… HEY!! BUSHY-BROWS!!"

… I think I found out why I could not see anything. Forcefully, I opened my eyes, but only to see a flash of the blonde before he was shoved out of the way. Gaara, as usual, was pristine, as if he had not just been in a war with the Uchiha, but he did not look untouched.

At least, his eyes did not.

"I'm sorry, Lee."

Why is he apologizing? My throat hurts… Is he apologizing for me because I can not stop screaming? I would, but the pain… I am trying to overpower it with youth… but it is not working.

I see his sand rise in a wave, and then it clutches onto like a second set of skin. I begin to fight again, not wanting it to touch me. My own clothes were hurting my suddenly sensitive skin, sand rubbing against it was not helping.

Again, I saw nothing, but I felt the touch of my lover's fingers to my fevered brow.

Everything becomes calm for a moment, and I almost smiled. Then I realize… that I might be sleeping… Maybe…

I hope Gaara is alright… If this is from something I ate, and Gaara has eaten everything I have, then he might have extracted this as well…

* * *

O.o Did I just make a homicide attempt on Lee? I think I did… how is that going to go over? Review, please!


	27. Vengaence is coming

"Iron poisoning."

The 18 or so pairs of eyes stared at Lady Tsunade for a long moment. Then Chouji spoke up from the sea of confused and worried friends and family.

"But… isn't that just with little kids?"

Lady Tsunade nodded.

"Most of the time. Iron poisoning is the leading cause for accidental, fatal deaths in children, just by them overdosing. You said he had abdominal pain and was vomiting blood?"

Naruto nodded weakly, his eyes focused on her with fear. He didn't want to lose a friend. Damn it, why did all of his friends try to leave him at one point or another?

Lady Tsunade nodded again.

"Those are some of the symptoms that show in the first few hours, though the average is six. Usually, it would have taken between two days and five weeks for someone with iron poisoning to die, but I would have given Lee seven hours at most before he kicked the bucket. We're damn lucky that boy's an ox. We did an x-ray, and that boy must have decided to go the extra hundred miles, because he took down more than his fair share of iron pills."

She rubbed at her forehead, looking with irritated eyes at all of the people crowded into the waiting room.

"I don't know if he's going to make it out of this one.

Naruto sat beside Sasuke, who continued to stare down at the ground. Clearly, something was bothering him about this. On the chair to the other side of Naruto, Chouji nibbled uncertainly on his lip, looking towards his husband, who sat beside him, but his eyes not actually connecting with him.

Across from Shikamaru sitting at an isolated chair, Neji had his arms crossed and stared at his kage as if she were incompetent, just barely calmed by the touch of his wife, Tenten, who was standing beside him, too nerved up to sit.

Standing only a short distance from her, Aya was scowling darkly at the ground, her green eyes burning with a solid hatred for an enemy she couldn't face; she had heard the screaming, just before it went silent, and had ran to the hole in the side of the Uchiha manor just in time to watch an unconscious Lee, covered in blood, disappear in a swirl of sand with what had appeared to be a tormented Gaara.

Minamaru was shaking somewhat, but was trying to hide it as he hugged Aya to try and calm her, pulling Kanaye, who wore a blank mask in place of his usually stoic one, in with him. He reached out to Jun, who looked as if he was about to vomit, to them, and Jun reached uncertainly for Samaie, who had came with him the instant they had heard Naruto screaming that Bushy-Brows was dying down the street. Aya's hand beat him to the boy who was standing awkwardly apart, and pulled him in, burying her face into Minamaru's shoulder where she began petting his hair with her other hand.

Kiba and Shino stood to the corner closest to the swinging doors, Kiba going subtly limp, his face shocked, Shino supporting him as his shoulders slumped oh so slightly.

At the chairs against the opposite wall, Iruka swayed Koi in his arms and began whispering to the whimpering child that her dad was going to be alright, hoping it wouldn't turn out to be a lie. Makato reached over from his father to kiss Koi on the forehead to help comfort the newborn, all the while, gripping tightly onto his father. Kakashi kept his eyes on Gai, watching as the other seemed to become darker and darker.

Of all of the people who had initially been worried, this was the number left once people understood that it was Lee who was harmed. Everyone else had thought that it was merely a routine visit for training too hard or something else not out of the ordinary. They, of course, didn't know that Lee wasn't even allowed to do any physical labor up until this week was over, his C-section having happened just two weeks ago.

Lee had done no physical activity that could result in him vomiting blood and screaming to the point where Gaara had had to jutsu him unconscious, unwilling to beat him unconscious.

After three minutes of silence, Gai broke it, tears falling slowly down his cheeks as he clenched his hands at his side, his eyes covered by the shadow of his hair.

"Lee does not take iron pills."

He looked up, finally, meeting eyes with his kage as she stared disbelieving at him.

"And he would never overdose, I taught him better than that."

Lady Tsunade scowled, looking at the stony expression of anger and fear on the leaf nin's face.

"What are you saying… someone, somehow, managed to slip all of that iron into him without him noticing?"

Her scowl disappeared as the male blinked, an answer that, yes, he did believe so.

* * *

Gaara stood over the unconscious form of his husband and lover, his face stony. Around him, the sand swirled and rose, then slid and fell, around him.

He hadn't been able to stay in the room so full of people he hardly knew; even those he knew well, he had not been able to stand there in their presence.

He had ignored him.

Naruto had been calling for him, telling him that something was wrong, but he had ignored him. He had favored knocking the Uchiha on his ass for something that could not be changed without harming one of the few people he considered a brother, instead of going to Lee's side and making sure he was alright. Yes, he had grounds as why he hadn't. Lee got hurt so many times, in so many ways… He had heard the two crashes that signaled Lee's entrance and Lee's halt, but he had thought nothing of it. He had been positive that Lee would stand right back up and try to stop him. He had been certain that he would have to use sand to restrain his lover while he had taught the Uchiha a lesson…

He had not known at all that he would have to use a jutsu to cut Lee off from his own pain a moment after he finally had the Uchiha in his grasp. He had not foreseen that he would land in the Hokage's chambers and demand that she help his husband.

He just hadn't known… that any of this… would happen.

He held up a hand, and began to clench his fingers, watching as the sand began to almost dance in excitement, rolling and tightening around Lee as he slept.

It was all too familiar, all too reminiscent of another memory.

He had tried this before, hadn't he?

He had attempted to kill Lee as he slept through the pain that he had caused him. He had nearly slept through his own death.

Hopefully, he would sleep through this one.

He refused to see his lover in pain, not pain that could last forever. This was pain that could outlast Lee, and Gaara just could not have that.

He had sworn he would kill Lee if it came down to that; having Lee happy was so much better a memory to be left with then Lee bent over in pain as he attempted to act as if everything was alright the rest of his life.

He had used his third eye jutsu to look in on the Hokage's analysis. He refused to have Lee die because of a poison.

He had known, even before Gai had said so, that it was meant to hurt Lee like this. He knew, just as well as the elder, green-clad man, that Lee never took iron pills.

For long seconds, his hand was posed there, over Lee who had his lip twisted slightly in pain and who was attached to machines. It began to tremble, and his breath began to rip in and out of his lungs.

Defeated, his hand fell to his side, and he acknowledged that he was sobbing.

Hope was a monster that prayed on human minds, and he was no longer a beast that everyone feared. Hope attacked him just as it attacked every other hopeless soul. It whispered sweet lies into his mind and made him believe them. Lee was strong, and he could pull through. He could have Lee all that while longer, if he just waited. Lee could wake up, look at him, and smile softly, just as he had after giving birth to their first child. All he had to do was wait.

He hated hope.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to Lee's fevered brow, running one hand through the sweaty, black locks.

He turned around only slightly, his eyes not leaving Lee as he did so. He waited with his ears, listening to each grain of sand fall.

He listened because it wasn't his sand that fell.

Kanaye invaded his vision, his face set in a blank mask as he stared unseeingly upon his chichi, his hands gripping the bed sheets loosely.

"He's going to be fine…"

It wasn't a question, it was what he had to believe. His whole life had revolved around his chichi and the next thing to do to make him happy, next thing to do to make him proud. He had only just accepted someone entirely into his heart, not even something he had done with Aya and Jun, who he had practically been born with.

But it was too soon to lose one person after having only one other to fill their place.

Minamaru was a huge part of his heart, and life, but he wasn't his chichi.

Gaara didn't look up, just continued to stroke Lee's hair as he laid so entirely still, so very pale, yet hot to the touch.

Kanaye only watched, a secret horror in him that, if he touched him in this state, he would find out that his chichi was dead. He looked as if he could be dead, so eerily still and closed up. His mouth wasn't even drooping open, and he wasn't on his side. His chichi always slept on his side…

There was a long silence between the two, staring down at Lee… Then-

"When do we hunt down the bastard who hurt mommy?"

Standing at the window, Minamaru had red tear tracks down his face, but was otherwise stony in expression. Aya had her hand clenched in her hair, and looked ready to charge someone with hate-filled eyes focused to the ground, her jaw clenched. Jun was balanced on the window sill, openly crying and staring with horror at the fallen figure on the bed.

This was a family affair, and even Jun had had to agree that Samaie couldn't sneak around with them to catch whoever had done this. Instead, his captain had helped distract the others, using his an illusion to make it seem as if they had never left. They knew, though, that Kakashi had caught them. It had been in how his head had been turned towards them, despite them using an invisibility jutsu.

Nothing got by that old man, nor did anything get pass Gai… Who had grabbed Minamaru by the arm as they walked by, and had said, ever so silently 'I will be joining you all soon.'.

Here they stood, uncertain how the immediate future looked… and ready to kill.

Kanaye looked at his father, who continued to stare down to his husband, then turned a determined face to his friends.

"Now."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his father's eye. They stared at each other for a long moment, then the kazekage nodded. He turned back to stroking Lee's hair.

"I will finish the paperwork that assign this as an official mission within the hour. If you find the culprit before then… make sure not to kill him… by any means necessary to keep him still."

Aya caught on, and smirked a dangerous smile as she turned to Kanaye.

"Yeah… We might have to draw out the interrogation… just for a little while."

Minamaru's smile was just as foreboding, his eyes seeming to sparkle golden for a moment, before he turned his face to Aya.

"I couldn't agree more, pup-buddy."

Gaara watched them for a moment, blinked, and opened his eyes to a room empty except for him and Lee.

* * *

"What" Gai growled out, his face again shadowed by his hair. "are you talking about?"

"Someone has been gradually poisoning Lee…"

Gai looked to Shikamaru, who had his eyes closed in thought. His fingers were weaved together, though he continued to run his thumbs over his forefingers. Then, he looked back to Lady Tsunade who continued to stand in the waiting room.

Within the first ten minutes of learning that someone had attempted to kill Lee and get away with it by disguising it as a constant overdose of iron, every other person had suddenly came up with something 'pressing' to do.

They all knew what that 'pressing' matter was. No one was allowed to harm one of their friends and think they could get away with it. Of course, Lady Tsunade was trying to ignore that she had 10 pissed off shinobi running around her village attempting to find a would-be murderer they didn't even know the name of.

Kakashi was waiting there for Gai, his eye that was showing was not focused in the pages of a book, for once. As perverted as he was, he was still as loyal as any of his dogs. Iruka had Koi and Makato, still in the waiting room as well as he listened on. Samaie had been indecisive as what to do, so he had opted to stay as well, to listen and try and figure out a description for the unknown person from whatever they figured out. Chouji, as loyal as always, sat silently beside his husband, his dark almond eyes even darker with sorrow.

Lady Tsunade sat down with a sigh, weaving her fingers together in an 'A' shape.

"When I first found the iron, I thought he was doing it on purpose. The amount of iron there, I had thought that he had been taking the same amount each day over the past two weeks."

Samaie tilted his head, opened his mouth, - and had his question answered without it being asked.

"She says the same each day for the past two weeks because Lee had a checkup right before and after giving birth. Had such a large amount of iron been in his system then, it wouldn't have escaped her notice till now."

Lady Tsunade nodded curtly, and Samaie leaned back against the wall, his eyes focused and almost crystallized as he stared at the opposite wall. The conversation went on, everyone attempted to hold onto their own anger long enough.

"Than we should assume that the would-be assassin is from here… except something feels too simple about this."

"How about, the culprit only tried to kill Lee and no one else. If the culprit was able to get to Lee so easily, able to poison him on a daily basis, he could have also tried to do the same to the rest of the Sabaku family."

That was when Chouji stopped chewing slowly on his chips, a comfort to the hell everyone was facing. He stared thoughtfully down at the bag, then continued.

"What if there was something only he ate?"

Gai's head shot up as looked to Chouji as if he were a miracle.

"Curry!"

Abruptly, he stood up, one finger pointing to the ceiling as his teeth glittered dangerously.

"Every day since he had given birth to Koi, he has eaten Curry. During his pregnancy, he had sworn off of it after unable to complete a task!"

Shikamaru opened one eye to watch Gai as the older male continued to look like an insanely happy man. The kind of insanely happy that came from screwing off the head of a sister's favorite doll, then hanging it in her closet.

"And?…"

He opened both eyes, his thumbs pausing for a moment, before they stopped altogether. His hands fell away from each other as a subtle smirk came over his face. Lady Tsunade scowled, even as Chouji caught on. She met eyes with Iruka, and then Samaie, the only other people in the room who didn't seem to understand the rest of the people. Kakashi looked blankly between them, secretly clueless. After a minute of suspense, Gai answered.

"Lee has only been able to find one person within the village who can make spicy enough curry for him. And that man is conveniently placed in your kitchens, Lady Tsunade."

"Where he was stationed by someone who wanted to give Gaara an indirect hit that would cause just as much damage as if it had struck the Kage himself."

Shikamaru added, leaning back and wrapping his hands behind his head. Samaie's eyes snapped to them as it occurred to him what they were talking about.

"The man who somehow always ends up in the right place at the right time? The same one who 'accidentally' stumbles into Lee's company whenever he's in public?"

When Shikamaru's smirk twitched ever so slightly, Samaie nodded. He had seen that man, every time he had happened across the friendly 'mother', there had been the same man in the background. Whenever he had pointed him out, Lee would look, and then say, ever so friendly, that that was 'the amazingly wonderful chef who makes the most fiery curry!'.

"The one and the same. He has prepared Lee a dish of curry every day since Lee has first begun his stay at the hokage estates…"

Lady Tsunade's eyes widened for a moment, before she gave a slight, bitter, chuckle.

"Yes, but he would have had to know that he was staying in my home. The Sabaku's weren't even meant to be there, they were meant to stay in a vacation home that was near by."

"Which, coincidentally, developed termites. This man is subtle, sly… he knows what he's doing because he's done it before."

Gai stood up, and began his way to the door, not gesturing for Kakashi to follow him, but the silver-haired nin did anyway.

"Which means he's an assassin…"

* * *

Which, the second generation had already found out. Actually, they had found out a little more than that.

Aya had Oki by her side, her dog's muzzle painted red by the man's blood that whimpered in front of them.

Of course, this was only one of them. There were three.

The one that had infected the Sabaku's original temporary stay, forcing them into another temporary home, namely, the hokage's estate.

The one that had poisoned Lee was in another part of the out-of-the-way, broken down home. Most likely with Minamaru and Jun.

The one that had orchestrated it all… well, he was with Kanaye in the basement.

Aya could hardly wait to hear what he had to say. This guy was finished for… or woman… She hardly cared at this moment.

She walked forward slowly, leaning down over the bleeding body to look into the female's eyes. The bleeding woman flinched.

"Listen… we were just doing what we were paid to do! I… I hardly did anything at all! All I did was set the termites! It was Yuudai who poisoned the guy! And, and… Shouta! He led us here, he told us what to do! NONE OF THIS IS MY FAULT!"

When the woman finally silenced, Aya smiled sweetly, her burning eyes belying it. Then she began to shake her head softly. The bleeding woman watched with terror, her eyes flying to the dog as she growled. She began sobbing.

"I hardly did anything!"

Aya reached out gently, touching a finger to the woman's chin and tilting it up.

"But you did… and it is your fault."

She left the room, finding the basement door as the woman sobbed in the room behind her. Their hour wasn't up yet. Clearly, though, the woman didn't have the strength, nor the mental capacity, to try and leave.

Boiling over and furious, she made her way down the rotting stairs, towards the sound of sobbing and screaming.

The man identified as 'Shouta', the leader of the three-person group, watched the sand weaving on and about him as if it were death itself… which it could be, as far as Aya was concerned. All Kanaye was doing was starting at the man, his face set and coldly blank, his arms crossed over his chest and looking down at the man.

Aya understood the expression as disappointment, and she sympathized with it.

His mother, her 'aunt', as far as she was concerned, Jun's 'aunt', Ru-ru's mom, Gaara's husband, Gai's 'son'. Everything that Lee was… could die because of a woman in her 50's, who didn't know the difference between a toaster and a blender, a balding man with love handles, and another man who looked like a crow with his long, narrow nose and greasy black hair.

In other words, losers. No trained assassins, just some idiots paid off of the streets to carry out a deed from someone who was more experienced, or just smarter and knew where to toss his money.

It was pathetic… It almost wasn't worth 'interrogating' them… almost…

Except they hadn't told yet who sent them.

She watched as the balding man screamed like a little girl, hitting his hand hard as if to get something out of it… which was most likely the sand. Kanaye looked only slightly over his shoulder at her, his red hair reminding her dimly of the woman upstairs.

If one wished to act the monster, they better sure as hell be prepared to be treated as one… but that woman hadn't been a monster, just an idiot after a quick buck. Aya almost felt sorry for her…

Almost.

"Did you find anything out."

Regretfully, she shook her head. He turned completely away from her back to the 'leader'.

"Than that leaves you and Yuudai up in the attic… which one of you will break first?"

Aya was pretty sure it was pork belly there, but that idea was shot down when she heard a pounding come down the stairs. Minamaru shot down the basement stairs, stopping right in front of Kanaye where it would be clear he was demanding the other's attention. From where she was, Aya couldn't see Kanaye's expression, but he must have gestured for Minamaru to speak, because he did in a flow of words where she only caught only one sentence. That wasn't too bad, because it was the most important sentence to ever be uttered.

_"We know where he is."_

* * *

Isn't vengeance sweet? I was hoping to fit it all in one chapter, but I guess it will have to span over two. I'm tired, and I am going to have to abandon the computer here soon. Tell me if this is okay, or if I should just stick to the humor.


	28. Vengaence is Sweet

If you loved this story for the love and laughs, you might want to skip this chapter. We're about to see the dark side of the second generation. And, trust me, it gets very dark.

____________________________ Means that there's a change in place, people, and everything else.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Means that there's only a change in who we're with.

* * *

"Gaara, you know he's too stubborn to die here. If Rock, Lee dies of iron poisoning, then Konoha is going to be defeated by butterflies."

The redhead didn't take his eyes off of the man lying on the hospital bed, wearing his white robe of office and his kage hat sat dejectedly on the chair that had been set out for him.

There hadn't been three seconds since Lee had been placed in the hospital that Gaara had spent apart from him, instead sending one of the jounin who had traveled to Konoha with him to get his attire and the papers needed to bring down the culprits.

"45 minutes ago, you weren't so certain."

Lady Tsunade scowled, planting one hand on her hip as she shut her eyes to try and retain some sanity around the kazekage.

These kids got on her nerve with how they thought they understood everything.

"45 minutes ago, Shizune and Sakura weren't here. The kids got all the care he needs, and a little more. Give it three weeks at least and he won't even be feeling this."

"Here is a question, Lady Tsunade."

He turned his head slightly over his shoulder, pinning her with cold, cornered ocean foam eyes.

"How long will he be feeling this at most?"

Her scowl turned into a grimace, and she turned her eyes slightly away from his.

Sometimes, these kids understood a little more than she wanted them to.

* * *

15 minutes till…

As the man slammed into another wall, he coughed up blood, even more of the fluid leaking out from a large, open gash over belly. Wheezing, he grasped at the wound and bowed down at the waist, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief. His teeth gritted, he looked back up.

Only to be faced off with large canine fangs of the dog that had just nearly ripped his intestines out.

Gasping for breath, he attempted to move backwards, stopped by the sharp pain that made him scream. The savage beast growled, grey eyes narrowed with furious bloodlust. Standing slightly behind him, a girl with tribal markings on her cheeks and spiky hair stared at him with the same bloodlust, but through a grass green gaze. Her smile was sweet, if not sadistic, seeing as how it bared sharp canines just as prettily as her dog's teeth were bared.

She stepped slowly up to the cowering man, and dropped down to his height, reaching out with a clawed hand to brush at his cheek.

He screamed again as she ran a claw deeply across his face, cutting painfully through the tender skin.

"Hmm… I have… 15 more minutes… before I can send you on your merry fucking little way, don't I?"

She tried to pout, but it only turned into a smirk.

"Well, Mr. Captain-of-the-rich-bastard-who-just-tried-to-take-down-my green-mommy, I was never one for the cat and mouse game. Do you know why?"

She reached for his hand, staring in pretense boredom at the trembling fingers, before she grabbed one and snapped it viciously. The victim howled in pain, twisting this way and that, but only hurting himself in the end as she grabbed him by the neck and smiled humorlessly.

"I was always more into dogs."

In answer, the beast-like creature behind her growled, trails of red liquid drooling from it's mouth as he stared at his prey with grey eyes turning slowly red. In the dim light of the destroyed chandelier, the same light was burning in the girl.

* * *

Nine minutes till…

The honey-haired boy stared at the seven guards trapped in his shadow jutsu with hatred.

He had never before felt so disgusted.

His friend's mother was dying, and it was because scum like this allowed themselves to be paid into protecting garbage like the man that was lying in his bed, unaware of any danger. The almond-eyed boy knew that was where he was because there had never been a chance for an alarm to be sounded, nor any time for anyone to run to his room.

Most of the guard was unconscious, or in too much pain to try either. After all, they had to wait just a little while longer before they could actually kill anyone.

It was so easy to do, what with them all wearing their uniforms and weapons the exact same way as their comrades. All the shadow user had to do was reach behind his back, grip his hand, and pull it forward, as if he were pulling something out.

There was a slide of metal as the seven guards pulled their blades from their sheaths. Panic and fear, anger and hatred, burned on each of their faces.

Continuing to hold his fist clenched, as if holding the blade each of them held, he hit his closed hand to his leg, and listened to each of them try and scream around the jutsu as they plunged the blades into their own legs.

He made sure they did the same to the other leg, and then he repeated with the arms.

By the time he released them from the jutsu, they weren't thinking about where they would be receiving their next payroll if they couldn't defend their employer, they were screaming too loud to hear their own thoughts.

The shadow user looked back once, and his eyes burned with a hatred stronger than the hatred they stared at him with. It made them back down, terrified for their lives, for what was left for them to lose.

The honey-haired boy came to one conclusion as he continued his search for more of the guard, as he had been ordered to do.

They were all cowards.

* * *

Four minutes till…

There was blood on the ground, but it wasn't from the two men who loomed over the King sized bed that was layered in silk and gold threaded cloth. It belonged to the man who stared at them with trembling lips, holding the wrist that had, just a moment ago, had a hand attached to it.

Reaching for the knife under his throw pillow had been a bad idea, especially when he had attempted to throw it at the violet-eyes boy. He hadn't known that there were two of them.

The redhead had a gourd attached to his back, the container letting loose what appeared to be sand. But that wasn't possible.

There were only two men in all of the shinobi world reported to have that ability. Having either in his bedroom, right after hearing the news of his success from the low lives that he had paid off, would be very bad for his health.

As such was being proven.

He opened his mouth, a scream about to echo through the room, if he could make himself loud enough. He was stopped by the hand that suddenly began to choke him, it's grip tightening dangerously when he began to gurgle around the force.

The violet- eyed boy seemed to not find anything about this either amusing, nor enjoyable; he just stared coldly at him, as if waiting for a confession from a man he knew to be guilty. His grip was pushing the point across to the unfortunate man.

The expression on the redhead's was blank, his eyes not giving anything away but a distant flicker of anger. That substance he believed to be sand was crawling everywhere, ripping things apart… including his skin.

He screamed, even with pressure against his throat, he screamed. It came out as a strangled, wounded cry, but it was there. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he heard the bones of his legs break, and then shatter.

At the last moment, his vision cleared, just in time to watch the grains loop up his body and drag at his hands, shedding them of skin as well with it's harsh texture and force. This time, he was allowed to scream.

On either side of him, both boys were coldly distant from the man's screams of pain and begging.

The redhead looked to the violet-eyed boy, who looked out of the large dome-shaped windows to where the moon was set. An ever so subtle smirk came over his face as he looked back to his partner. He nodded once, and then turned his eyes eagerly back to the writhing man held prisoner to his own bed.

Obsidian black eyes looked from his love, to his enemy, and flickered more brightly with intense hatred. He reached a hand out, his fingers curled inward as he rested his palm a few inches above the man's face, and began slowly touching his fingertips to his palm.

They made his death last the one minute they had left till they were officially permitted to kill him and any of his accomplices.

As the last thing he had ever done alive, the would-be murderer shat himself.

Only the violet-eyed boy's snickering was left behind as, between the twitch of a second, and the tick of the grandfather clock down the hall, they suddenly weren't there.

The mansion sang with screams the moment the hand of that same bloodied clock struck 12.

* * *

12: 27 am

"His internal organs could be permanently scarred… It's possible for him to go into shock at any time now. And, if he goes into shock now, there's a possibility he's not going to make it out of it. If he does make it out of this, and we can't do as much as I hope we can, his white cell count could go down, and that could make it easier for him to catch any disease that wanders by."

The hokage rubbed at her face, feeling tired enough to just barely drag herself to the liquor cabinets. The kazekage continued to stare down at his husband, his hands loosely holding onto the bar on the side of the hospital bed.

He didn't say anything, and that was what made the hokage look at him with anger. She still wasn't all that certain of his mental capacity, and his silence was not soothing her over. The first two times he had tried to kill the special jounin, it had been out of anger and insanity. He could try again.

This time, it would be a mercy killing.

But they didn't know if the kid needed that yet. So far, the worst hadn't come into place, and it seemed as if he could pull out of this untouched. He had been through so much worse than just some lousy poisoning attempt… That was turning out to be a pretty damn good lousy poisoning attempt.

Both kages paused in their turned in thoughts once they felt a familiar chakra nearing.

Neji and Tenten walked silently into the room from where they had jutsued in the waiting room, not wishing to disturb anything. Tenten bowed formally, while Neji just stared coolly at the back of the Kaze's head.

"We found the suspects. They were just barely alive, and heavily in shock. By the time we asked our first question, the first suspect died from blood loss."

The blonde kage turned to them, her eyes serious and cold.

"The first… There was more than just one?"

The weapon mistress nodded an affirmative, looking out of the corner of her eyes to her husband that continued to glare at the redhead.

"There were three… We aren't sure where their place was in this scheme, but we had managed to get a place out of the last suspect we came across. We located him in the attic, and he was nearly brain dead, mumbling and cooing to himself… They must have gone through something terrible, to react to our presence like they had."

"You pitied them."

Neji, finally unable to hold his anger at the redhead's assumption, though, it was true, hissed in displeasure.

"You wouldn't happen to know how any of this had happened, wouldn't you?"

The accusation was clear in the Hyuuga's tone that, yes, he believed the kaze knew exactly what had happened. And the kazekage didn't try to make him believe otherwise as he stood silently where he had been standing ever since his husband had first been moved into the room two and a half hours ago. He didn't do anything to support it, either.

Tenten shot a warning look at her husband, and then nodded to the redhead's statement, treating it like a question she knew it hadn't been.

"You didn't see them. No one deserves to have to go through what that. I felt like I was being tortured looking at them. They were just these three old people who were most likely looking for some extra money and had got caught up with the wrong people.-"

"You pitied them."

The weapon mistress finally went quiet, unable to counter the cold certainty in the other's voice.

Lady Tsunade stared at her subordinate with old eyes, really wishing for that sake. Neji finally let loose, lashing across the distance separating him from the redhead, his byakuugan activated as he thrust two fingers to the back of the other's neck. His assault was stopped by a wave of sand that moved over his hand, and then enveloped him from his left arm to his neck.

The force was enough that he fell to the ground, his teeth gritted in anger as he was forced to submit. He refused to waste chakra to release himself until he was certain it was his only avenue for escape.

Tenten gave a startled cry and moved forward, but was stopped by her kage's shaking her head.

The blonde turned stony eyes to the redhead who continued to stare down at his lover.

"You are assaulting a ninja of my country, and I need a drink before I'm willing to sign off anything about a national security breach."

Nothing. She scowled.

"That means that you want to let him go before I kick your ass, red."

The kazekage shifted slightly, turning his body toward her, but not his eyes.

"I gave orders for Nara-Akamichi, Jun; Inuzuka, Amaya; Sabaku no Minamaru, and Sabaku no Kanaye, to go in search of the offenders and bring them down. I specifically told them not to kill anyone within the first hour."

Behind him, Tenten went pale, and Neji's fury increased. Gaara had just implied that four teenagers had just done something they had never even dreamed of doing.

"You expect us to believe that four children, not even older than 17, drove three grown adults incompetent, and then went on their own to take down a power head?"

The snarl just barely unraveled it's way out of his constricted throat. Lady Tsunade's head snapped towards him.

"What do you mean, a power head?"

Tenten stepped forward, her eyes moving nervously from her husband, to the kazekage, then went to her own kage.

"The name the suspect gave us, it was Daiso, Tojo. The wealthy man that moved to the edge of our border a few months back. We've had reports of him disturbing some of the villagers, but they were always dismissed…"

Lady Tsunade scowled, no longer concerned with the Hyuuga.

"There's a 'but' in there."

Tenten nodded, again treating the statement as a question.

"It was Lee… who caught him harassing a woman and publicly… 'humiliated'… him by calling him out and loudly reprimanding him."

Her kage sighed, deeply troubled.

"And how long ago was this?"

Tenten looked down and away.

"Only a few hours before he went into labor. The offender had wasted no time in getting his revenge."

There was a long silence, only broken momentarily by Neji's growl as he flashed from where he had been forced to kneel back to his wife's side the moment the sand let him go. Minutes after that, their kage growled.

"Well?"

Tenten blinked, confused. Neji knew exactly what she was talking about, and stared, again, coldly at the kaze's back as he answered in her place.

"They're all dead."

* * *

12: 46 am

Samaie had stopped his search for the offenders the moment the group he had been traveling with, Jun's parents, came across the broken down house and discovered the three stiff bodies. He had stopped because, he and Shikamaru, had came to the same conclusion in the same second:

They had been beaten there, and there was nothing left to be done.

While Shikamaru and Chouji went back to the hospital to wait for the others to return, Samaie had turned away from them and made a fast run to a hidden spot that was two miles south of where he had been standing.

The place had showed itself so often in Jun's journal, he had checked it out. It did, indeed, hold storage, disguised by camouflage, and the area was, indeed, set with booby traps.

If the teens were anywhere, it would be there.

He ran over one tree, sliding around a fallen log that wasn't actually a fallen log, and leaped over a long stretch of empty ground, which was empty, but wasn't ground. There were a few other things to dodge, then he broke through what appeared to be a rock into a clearing. In the center of the small, covered over clearing, there was a pond. Around that pond, the frost of the cold December night made it look frozen. Four large stones were set around it, another holding one of the teens, another sitting one teen with a black-haired boy between his legs, and one of them supporting a dog as well. All of them covered in blood.

Jun looked almost dead as he stared at him over his shoulder, slowly scrubbing at his arm where blood continued to drip. The red liquid dropped into the pond, that was steadily become crimson as they continued to clean themselves.

Looking at him, Samaie himself almost died. Had it just been this afternoon where Jun had looked like a crab, he had been blushing so red? It had been just this afternoon when he had finally manned up and asked the Akamichi-Nara out. This… creature, this sad, crying, dead-eyed, creature… was that actually Jun underneath all of that and the blood and dirt?

"You can get the hell out, or figure out something to do. We aren't being paid to be a freak attraction."

His eyes didn't even move to Amaya as she made her smart remark. She sat to his right, just out of his peripheral sight. Her dog was more in focus, but only enough he could see her red-dyed fur. There was fury and hurt in her voice. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Kanaye's expression seconding the statement. Sitting before him between his legs, having his hair washed of the blood by the redhead, Minamaru stared at the pond water.

He didn't leave. He walked up to Jun, stroked his filthy hair, then he took off his shirt. Dunking it into the water, he helped wash the only child of the filth and gore. The honey-haired boy curled himself up, shivering in the cold, as he tucked his head into Samaie's shoulder for comfort.

Aya said nothing more, and he, able to see her better from where he knelt, could see her relax somewhat, though she continued to watch them a moment longer. Then she went back to washing her dog, Kanaye washed his younger boyfriend slowly and methodically, and Samaie rubbed Jun's skin clean of all proof of what the boy had done.

They stared there, shivering in the cold, until even that involuntary movement stopped and the sun spread it's very first ray of light through the curtain of cover over their hiding place.

Aya sighed, then stood up and stretched, rubbing at her fever red eyes. Her dog stood with her, her gunmetal eyes set loyally upon her mistress.

Kanaye stood up, finally stopping in stroking Minamaru's hair, who had been seduced into a half- asleep state by the touch, who blinked fully awake once Kanaye was on his feet. He swayed to his feet, his eyes blankly moving to the pond water. It looked muddy, with all of the blood they had shed that night.

Samaie looked to them, then stood himself, picking the emotionally drained honey-haired boy up with him. They left the clearing together, though they broke at different parts on the trails.

Amaya and her dog broke at the third trail they came to once three miles from the haven, going to their home where they supposed their parents would be if not at the hospital.

It was right to assume they wouldn't be in the waiting room, Samaie doubted Lady Tsunade would let so many people stay the night there.

Two more trails down, Kanaye and Minamaru broke to make their way to the hospital, regardless. As immediate family, they could possibly get in… or slip in if it came to that.

He continued to carry Jun to the boy's home. The honey-haired boy had just gone six hours, while he had been in their presents, anyway, awake, and not eating food. Samaie doubted that was healthy for the Akamichi-Nara.

When they reached his home, he entered carefully. From Jun's parent's room, he sensed their chakras. They were sleeping, or, in his dad's case, going back to sleep. Silently, he moved into the well stocked kitchen. He didn't try to put his teammate down, even as he went hunting throughout the room for something that would catch the boy's attention.

Nothing did, and putting something in his hands didn't work, because he would just set them back onto the counter and then hold onto him again. He gave up after nine minutes of it, and went to Jun's bedroom.

He attempted to put the boy down, but he couldn't release himself from the boy's hold.

"Stay… Please?"

He stopped his subtle struggling, then laid down on the bed next to the distraught boy, pulling the other to his naked chest and began rubbing the boy's back. Blindly, he reached for the covers and pulled it over their stiffly frozen bodies. Jun gave no word, nor movement, to show that he acknowledged any of it, but that was to be expected.

Chakra exhaust and emotional drain were heavy weights. The moment he had had something to crash against, Samaie's chest, he allowed them to knock him out.

He was sound asleep, and Samaie was wide awake as he continued to his comforting ministrations.

With how yesterday had been, he didn't want today to catch him by surprise. He was going to be awake for the whole damn thing.


	29. Waiting in Obsession with Reward

"Gaara…"

The redhead continued to keep his eyes closed, captured in a dreamless rest. It was the first one he had taken in five days.

five days since Lee had collapsed in pain in the Uchiha's manor and he had ignored him, thinking it to be nothing. Five days since he had first stood by this same hospital bed and reigned in the part of him that wanted to go on the streets and blindly murder anyone who had the misfortune of coming across him. Five days since he had sent out their second generation to find and torture those who had done this to his husband.

Four days since he had signed off on allowing them to kill the offenders, his signature having danced upon that paper at the very strike of midnight. Four days since he and everyone had, again, listened to the hokage as she explained the situation, though he had been in this room the entire time. Four days since he had spoken a word to anyone.

Three days since he had seen any of his family, Koi with Minamaru and Kanaye, who were staying with the Akamamich-Nara boy, the Inuzuke with them. Three days since he had even acknowledged another person.

Two days since he realized that he was dying because his lover wasn't waking up. Two days since he had accepted said fact and then stopped thinking about the outside world entirely. Two days since he had finally sat down next to his husband, instead of standing in the same spot.

27 hours since the hokage had came into the room, screaming for him to get out and 'live'. 26 and a half hours and 29 minutes since she had slapped him to try and knock some sense into him. 21 hours since the kage's assistant had been able to coerce him into taking down the sand dome so she could start another healing session with his husband. 19 hours since he began to suspect that one of the healing nins had begun a jutsu on him.

That is 19 hours of his life that disappeared for the first time in five days.

"Gaara…"

And that voice would not stop… It was an eerily familiar voice.

He used as much force as he had to, to force his heavily leaden eyelids up to look to the person saying his name.

Lee had his upper body balanced on his elbows as he blinked down at him, a small, soft, slightly confused smile on his face. Shakily, he allowed himself to fall back onto the bed in favor of reaching out to Gaara with one hand to stroke his red locks.

"Hello, Gaara, have you been alright while I was sleeping?"

The redhead blinked…

Blinked again…

Then nodded his head in acknowledgment to Lee's question.

"It was unpleasant, but all's well now."

His dark haired lover smiled brightly, lifting his other hand to give him a thumbs up, even as he continued to stroke his hair.

"Wonderful!"

His voice was cracked, and hoarse from the days of no use. Gaara closed his eyes to revel in the sound. When he opened them again, there was a reprimanding light in them, causing the bedded man to pout.

"If we're to avoid anymore incidences such as this, we have rules to go over."

Lee nodded his head sadly, having figured that his lover would say something like that during the so or so minutes Lee had been watching the redhead sleep. He was going to rebel against them at some point, especially when he found out exactly what had happened and why he had been out for five days, if the calendar across the room from him was to be believed; but, it was best to make his lover feel secure that he was alright for now.

He could not remember the last time he had waken up in hospital with Gaara by his side-…

Oh, wait, he could. The night he had given birth to his first son. How could he have almost forgotten?

Either way, Gaara needed to feel in control. If that meant he would have to swallow his tongue and tiptoe for a few days until he could not contain his youthful energy any longer, then so be it!

He waited sullenly, but expectantly, for what was most likely going to be a very long list of things he could no longer do, or could only do while the kage was with him.

His expecting that might be why what he received startled him. Though, the kiss was nice.

It was only uncomfortable because he hadn't brushed his teeth in so long, and there was a horrible taste of iron invading his sense of smell from within his own throat. Otherwise, he wrapped his arms around his husband to pull him closer, his body starved for the contact.

It was three minutes before they took a little longer of a break than just a breath of a second. Gaara had managed to slip onto the hospital bed, leaning over his lover, where he was unable to stop himself from lustfully thrusting his hips against his lover's.

He listened with rapt attention to each gasp and moan that escaped his submissive husband, his eyes hungry.

"You do not leave me like this again… or I will follow after you."

Lee stopped everything, his eyes becoming perfect circles as he paled ever so slightly, staring into his lover's eyes, shocked. Weakly, he placed his palm over Gaara's face, covering his scar with his fingertips. Gaara didn't lean into the touch as he usually would, just staring back at him with certainty.

Lee could not hold the question any longer.

"What happened?"

He noted to himself to never wait again for the perfect opening to ask how he ended up in the hospital. He was going to ask the moment he opened his eyes and found his voice.

Not until he was aroused, shocked by his lover's words that made no sense to him, and then have his sensei barge through the door.

"I sensed that my most beautiful student was awake!!… GAARA! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT MOLESTING LEE ON HOSPITAL BEDS?!?!?!?"

There was a gurgle, in which Lee realized that his sensei was holding his daughter. In the same thought, he wanted to demand Koi, missing her terribly, and wanted to scream in horror.

"ESPECIALLY BEFORE INNOCENT MINDS. AGAIN, MY MIND IS BOGGLED THAT YOU WOULD DO SUCH A THING!!"

Time was… repeating itself… It did seem…

"Bushy-Brows, you're awake- HOLY SHIT, it burns!!"

"Mommy, how do you feel-… Raccoon-daddy… get off of mommy, he's hurt right now."

"Father, chichi is fragile, move."

"Hey, is Lee up!?"

"How… lovely… to catch you in this situation. I'm going to walk away, now that everything seems fine."

Lee had his face buried into the white fabric of his lover's robes, his face feeling fiery against the cool cloth. Against his ear, Gaara sighed, and then fanned out his cloak so that it hid him from his friends and family.

"Gaara…?"

His small whisper was answered by a 'hm?'.

"Time is repeating itself…"

"Yes."

"… What happened while I was sleeping?"

"…"

"Gaara! Stop molesting my patient!"

"… Gaara, I do not think this is our day."

The redhead stayed where he was till the room had cleared of everyone, minus Minamaru, Kanaye, Koi, and Lady Tsunade. Then he removed himself as his shy lover's shield, and sat, again, by his side to watch the hokage conduct her checkup. While she did that, Lee hugged and kissed both of his teenage children, smiling for both of them, then reached out and took his infant child.

There was some scarring, but Lady Tsunade was happily irritated to report her analysis to the gathered crowd of people concerned for the second beautiful beast:

The brat was going to be just fine.

Gaara just had to restrain himself for a week so he didn't cause any internal bleeding within his lover.

He was not amused when she announced that in front of the crowd as well.

* * *

Ha! I got back to the humor! Do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight! uh huh, uh huh! Get down tonight!

… But that angst and action was fun. I wish I had found something more serious than iron poisoning, but it was the only thing I found that fit the symptoms I had put out already. Just tell me if you loved it or not, even if it's a yes or no. I know I have more people reading this then those who are just reviewing.

Thanks to ridiculously spaced out name fairytales, kakairu, just a girl two, and animal loving girl, for their lovely input. I glomp each and everyone of you!


	30. Baby Abduction

Ha! I dids it! I dids it! You know what I be talking about, Ms. Creator!

* * *

4:00 AM

The newborn was a pale cinnamon color, her obsidian eyes wandering searchingly, though she was too young to see anything. Wrapped securely around her, the green jumpsuit kept her warmer than the comforter they had given her did.

She had not seen her 'mother' since he had awoken, and she had not been able to sleep since. She didn't understand much of what was happening, but she sensed that her 'mother' wasn't there.

As a figure fell over her, she suspected no danger, nor did she do anything but allow her eyes to wander over the intruder's face. With no fight, she allowed herself to picked up, and let her neck and back be supported by the boy. She puckered her lips expectantly, and had a baby bottle pressed reassuringly to her lips.

As she sucked on the nipple, the mysterious boy sang a very soft lullaby to her, then leaped out of the third story window.

No one heard, nor saw a thing.

* * *

4:15 AM

The next invasion began close to the Nara park, where the Nara-Akamichi family rested.

The slim figure slipped into room of Nara-Akamichi, Jun, where the teen was sleeping blissfully next to his boyfriend of one day, having been dating for a week now.

It's chakra signature was masked, his hands gloved, and an ANBU mask covered his face. Anything he was thinking of, or felt, was hidden behind his elaborate disguise.

He reached out to the honey-haired boy, gently wrapping his arms around the supple body, and pulled him very carefully out of the embrace he had been sharing with the violet-haired teen in his bed. He paused in his capture when the boyfriend frowned in his sleep, reaching across the sheets for the shadow user that was no longer there. Balancing the napping boy in his arms, he tilted a pillow into the reach of the violet-haired boy.

The pillow was grabbed, held for a moment, then pushed away when identified as not his boyfriend. Amber eyes shot open, all sleep wiped out of them as he sat up abruptly, his eyes moving about the room in a thorough search for his bed mate.

He was entirely alone.

* * *

4:23 AM

The third occurred minutes after the last abduction.

The same slim figure slipped into the nursery room of the Inuzuka home. His head tilted left, then right, as if assuring himself that he was alone.

Except for the baby, of course.

The slumbering year old was holding loosely onto the crème colored fur of a ferociously large dog, his brown ears limply lying against his head. Against the child's pale, Aubrame skin, his red tribal markings looked almost like blood. The soft, curling length of his hair appeared to be black, but was too thin to be certain.

The dog's nose twitched, and then he curled deeper into himself, nuzzling his muzzle into where the baby's belly had been. The large canine startled awake with a yelp when he came upon a shocking discovery.

The baby, the same one his master had assigned him to guard, was no longer there.

He whined, nosing at his fur to make sure that they tiny creature wasn't just hiding, then stood up and galloped into his master's and his mate's room.

* * *

4:47 AM

In the Hatake home, where Hatake, Kakashi, and Hatake, Iruka, rested peacefully after having attempted to coerce their child to sleep for the past five hours. They had thought they had been successful two hours ago, and had left the child's room.

Sadly, the child was a mastermind, and, even not even being a year old yet, had had his plan go exactly as planned. The porn book his father usually held in his jounin vest was now in his own hands as he looked joyously from page to page, gurgling happily as he watched all of the love love on the pages.

Of course, he couldn't read it, he wasn't that smart.

But he was darn close to learning it on his own.

A shadow fell over him, and his crystal blue eyes looked up to study said figure. There was another moment of blankly staring, then the Hatake child reached up with love and want glowing on his face, his eyes becoming large with need as the intruder held up an Icha Icha porn book. But not just any copy, oh no.

It was special edition. The kind his father was too smart to carry around with him while around his son.

When the intruder put his finger to his lips to be silent, the Hatake child eagerly zipped his lips and threw away the key, then reached for the book again. The slim figure picked him up out of his crib, handing the white-haired child the comic, then leaped silently out of the second story window.

In the next room over, the brunette squirmed in the arms of his lover, a grimace forming on his face as a bad feeling came over him. Exhausted, he was unable to rouse himself to consciousness to act upon the notion.

* * *

4:53 AM

The fourth abduction was the easiest.

His target was already moving about, sky blue eyes dreary as he mumbled unintelligible. The tan, whiskered man trudged into the kitchen, either not noticing, or uncaring, of the disguised figure sitting at his table, as he rummaged through the kitchen drawers.

"Where's the ramen?…"

He went still suddenly, his eyes not at all focused as his nose twitched. Once, twice, a third time, then he spun around groggily, and made his way towards the intruder…

Who happened to be holding a bowl of ready made ramen.

Like a zombie, the Uchiha-Uzumaki, stumbled and slid toward the masked man, entirely oblivious to the fact that the slim figure was walking out of the kitchen, into the living room, and out of the front door, as he followed.

From there, he was more than happy to chase down the instant ramen, where he then collapsed happily, and fell right back to sleep.

Right where the intruder wanted him to be.

* * *

5:00 AM

Kanaye seemed to float down the hall, his night time robe touching the ground as he made his way to his baby sister's temporary nursery.

His father hadn't left the hospital since his chichi had woken up two days ago. True, he was eating and working again, but all from within chichi's hospital room.

Kanaye had been taking care of affairs that could not be carried out from within the room. Such as meeting with diplomats, inserting himself as the next kazekage, therefore dominant in policies that the older, more seasoned, shinobi didn't believe he could be.

It also included checking up on his baby sister.

He opened the door, and stepped through it, his eyes scanning the room for possible dangers and anything of the like. What he found was much more alerting.

The baby sister he was checking up on, wasn't where he had put her. There was no way a child as old as three weeks could crawl out of a crib, much less anywhere.

Yet, she wasn't there. Koi was missing, and if his chichi and father found out, he was going to be a captive in the worst nightmare ever.

Reaching into the empty space, he touched his fingertips to the green spandex suit that had been left behind, his mind working miles a minute in trying to figure out where the girl could be. He cursed as he came to one conclusion, rubbing in irritation at his face as he scowled at the open window.

"Arune… You idiotic, close-minded, little…"

He spun on his heel and leaped out of the window after his boyfriend.

It was likely, if he had kidnapped one child, he was going to try and kidnap more. He doubted that the other parents would be so understanding of what Arune was most likely doing, giving them all a break, and think it was an actually abductor.

Perfect timing, only one week after everyone finds out that someone had tried to kill his chichi.

How abso-fucking-lutely wonderful.

* * *

5:30 AM

Jun stretched, reaching out blindly for the bag of chips he usually kept on his side of the bed, also reaching for the warm body that had been beside him.

When he grabbed neither, his eyes fluttered open.

"Whach goin' on?"

His sleepy mumble was met by an all too happy-

"Good morning, junk-food buddy!"

His eyes focused blearily on the amethyst-eyed boy, who was staring giddily back at him.

"Whach ya doin'?"

Minamaru wrapped him tightly in his arms, bear-hugging him tightly to the point where he woke up enough to squirm. It was ineffective, but it brought his attention to snoring and squealing in the background.

He forced himself to look beyond Minamaru's shoulder, and saw, much to his chagrin, that he was indeed not alone in whatever Minamaru had conspired to do overnight.

There was a crib in the corner; in it, Makato was clapping his hands to the pages of a Icha Icha porn novel, Koi was blankly staring at him, her lips pouting, and Kouga was barking at her, his voice high pitched and cute as he smiled joyfully at his own impression of the family's familiars. They weren't the only ones who had been abducted, much to the boy's horror. The person who had been snoring?

Naruto lied on mattress with an empty bowl next to him. He was totally, obliviously, out of it. Jun longed to be him right now, because this was just too confusing.

And he still had no morning snack.

"Arune, what did you do?"

The taller boy snickered, rocking back and forth with Jun still trapped in his arms.

"I am watching over all of the man babies for the day!"

Jun's eyes flew to Minamaru's, offended by that.

"I'm not a baby!"

"Aww… Of course you're not. You're just Samaie's baby, and that qualifies you as a baby all around!"

Jun blushed, shoving at the younger boy.

"We've been dating for a day!"

"But you've been in love for a month!"

"… You were the one reading my journal!"

Minamaru smirked, snuggling into the living teddy bear.

"I wasn't the only one."

Jun blinked, unsure how to take that, before he literally shook it off and pointed at Naruto.

"He's not a baby!"

Minamaru looked to where Jun was pointing, then snickered again.

"Nope, but he's carrying one!"

Jun sagged, sighing deeply as he tried to rub away a suddenly forming headache.

"Arune, by any chance… Did you ask to… 'babysit'… them, before you took them?"

There was one moment of silence…

Then another…

Finally-

"Maybe… Maybe no…"

"Arune!"

"Jun! They were too cute, and I was only thinking about giving the adults a break!"

"You kidnapped children from highly seasoned shinobi! They don't know that! I mean, did you even kidnap Koi?"

Minamaru nodded, pouting as he released the livid boy. Jun's eyes widened impossibly.

"You live with her! You kidnapped her, despite that?… Oooohhhh… You kidnapped Naruto? Sasuke is not going to be happy. Iruka-Sensei is not going to be forgiving about this one…

Minamaru stared at the ground, thoroughly scolded.

"I'm sorry…"

Jun looked to the sullen boy, and then sighed. He pulled the younger boy into a hug and stroked his hair comfortingly.

"It's okay… I'll help you… 'babysit'… them."

"Really?!"

He felt as if he was signing his will, but he gulped, and nodded anyway. Minamaru grabbed him tightly and began to rock him again in delight.

"We're going to be the best babysitters in Konoha! Everyone's going to trust us with all of their babies and we get to corrupt their minds so they'll all hunt down that pink blob thingy majigger when they grow up! This is going to be -"

"Over."

Both boys froze, Jun in his next attempt to escape, Minamaru in his attempt to throw Jun into the air for joy. After long, coldly stiff, seconds, they turned slowly to where the voice had came from.

Standing in the door of the small, rickety house that Minamaru had found out of the way the day before, Kanaye stood beside Aya, who's eyes sped over the room, and then locked on her younger brother with relief. As Kanaye glared at his boyfriend, Aya slouched and offered her two little bros a canine grin.

"Did we plan on eating some baby for breakfast?"

Minamaru attempted to hide from Kanaye's glare by setting Jun in front of him, which failed when a third person flashed through the room and snatched the living teddy bear out of his hands.

Samaie held his boyfriend to his chest and growled at the accused. In turn, Kanaye growled at him. That made Aya growl, because she damn well knew no one could out-growl her. That forced Kanaye back on track after glaring at both Samaie and then Aya.

He turned back to his boyfriend, who attempted to use puppy dog eyes on his immune lover.

"I did it so everyone could get a day off?"

He held his innocence for two minutes against the slowly raging redhead. Finally, his shoulders slumped and his lips pouted, looking at Kanaye through his eyelashes. When that failed, he whimpered, then sighed in defeat. He stood up and sniffed, looking to the three babies, then to Naruto.

"I'll put them back."

The redhead nodded, and then gestured Aya to go and take her baby brother.

"If you have help, that will be less time their parents will have to freak out over their children's disappearances.

* * *

5:49 AM

Aya walked into her home, shooting an eyebrow up at the upset state her pup-daddy was in, her bug-daddy attempting to calm down the other through his subtle touches.

After Kanaye had came to their house, seconds after they had came back in to regroup and think it through again, unable to find a sufficient track, and the bugs unable to spot the lost child, to tell Aya that he knew where her little brother was.

She had left with him, telling her freaking out parents to stay in the house. It was one thing when an Inuzuka freaked out in the streets, Aubrames became depressed… and their depression was… radiating.

She smirked as her little bro howled playfully, effectively calling the bouncing Akamaru to their side where he tried to tackle her to the ground to get to him. Her pup-daddy and bug-daddy turned to her, and then there was an explosion of movement.

Kouga was ripped out of her hands by her pup-daddy who began to ask the poor boy if he was okay, if he had been treated right, and if he wanted him to hunt Arune down. Kouga politely declined by grabbing his pup-daddy's face and pulling him into a kiss.

A trick he had learned from the wonderful Hatake heir when they had been too exhausted to try and knock each other out.

Aya laughed her ass off as it shut her pup-daddy up.

* * *

5:50 AM

In the next room over from the nursery, Kakashi finally closed his eye after the almost hour of his son having been taken by Minamaru.

He went to sleep, for actual this time.

* * *

5:53 AM

Sasuke was cursing a blue streak as he stepped back into his home.

He was used to the dobe doing stupid shit, such as disappearing, getting himself nearly killed, and just being altogether stupid.

Unfortunately, that had never occurred at five in the morning.

He was ready to kill, and most certainly thinking about doing so, when a familiar chakra reached him. He, slowly, calmly, walked down the hall into his bedroom.

Lying there, Naruto snored the early morning away, sprawled over the bed as if he had never been gone.

If it wasn't for the baby, Sasuke would have beaten the boy right into where he rested, but he reigned in the anger long enough to walk up to his husband's side, lean over silently, and then yell directly into his ears.

"hey, dobe!"

"SAVE THE BABY!!!"

Naruto, startled, and in pain from head butting his raven-haired lover, looked to his fallen husband and scowled.

"What was that for, teme!?"

It was very tempting to kick the blonde's ass, but he, again, reigned it in.

This was normal, every day life for him.

* * *

5:54 AM

"There, they're all back where they need to be!"

Minamaru held Koi close to his chest and beamed at his redheaded lover, cheekily humming beneath his breath to calm the girl to sleep. She blinked, and then seemed to stare at him, before her eyes wandered away. His mood dimmed when he saw that Kanaye was not as joyous as him.

"Kanaye?"

The redhead shook his head, sighed, and then walked away, arms folded across his chest. Minamaru pouted, and then chased after him, careful of the infant the whole time.

"Kanaye!"

It was a happily chaotic morning all around.

Jun and Samaie went directly back to sleep once stepping into Jun's room.

Kanaye and Minamaru put Koi into her crib, finally resting peacefully, as they tangled her into the green jumpsuit, and then walked into their own room.

When they woke up, Kanaye planned on acting as if nothing had happened.

Minamaru planned on seducing him to get his own man baby.

Just a happily chaotic morning all around.

* * *

Wasn't that lovely? You loved it, I know you did. Please do tell me about it, would you?

Happy 30th Chapter! Yes!


	31. Comforting RuRu

Minamaru was curled up on his bed, hands wrapped around his knees, his head tucked into them.

He had tried, unsuccessfully, babysitting the other day… And now he really didn't want to face the parents. He didn't want to see their faces, because he knew they were most likely to scold him and be angry.

He remembered all the times he had walked up to younger kids while he had been an orphan. The parents had never taken a living to him, and had never tried to hide the fact. His confidence had came from knowing that he was going to have find friends one day, and that, they were going to be his life. He had been right; Aya, Jun, and especially Kanaye, made up a large part of his happiness.

Down stairs, everyone was partying, a small get-together for his mommy for finally leaving the hospital after nearly being poisoned to death. He could hear them laughing and joking, possibly dancing if his mommy had had his way.

He didn't want it to turn awkward when he stepped down there and all of the moms and dads had to act nice to him because it was his mom they were celebrating for. He knew they weren't happy, they couldn't be.

He had though, yesterday, that it would be a wonderful idea if he just took the children off of everyone's hands for a few hours. It had been a stressful few weeks for everyone, and he had just wanted to help… Except he had had Aya's mom, Jun's boy-love, and, one of his many role models, Sasuke, scowl at him and act coldly towards him during most of yesterday. Kakashi had joked about it, telling him not to kidnap his baby as he had handed Makato to him, while Iruka had looked ready to bite.

They had not thought it at all helpful, apparently.

Kanaye had had to explain it to him before he fully understood why everyone thought his generosity wasn't so… generous. Secretly taking their children so they could wake up to a relaxing morning, had instead been interpreted as 'HOLY F**KING SHIT! SOMEONE TOOK MY BABY!!' to the parents.

That had been explained to him _after_ he had met with Aya's family and Kiba had refused to let him hold Kouga. Samaie had been grumpy the whole day, attempting to discreetly scowl at him for abducting his boy-love from his arms, and had not actually been so discreet about it, seeing as how Kanaye had threatened to whoop him one good if he didn't stop. Kakashi had been joking, and Iruka had been clouded in dark temper. Sasuke had actually grabbed him by his shirt collar and had told him, and he quotes:

'If I ever have to get up in the morning because someone abducts my dobe, you will be the first person I come to.'

In other words, it had not been so pleasant.

"Ru-ru, come out, come out, wherever you are!"

At the sing-song voice of Aya, he curled deeper into himself, hoping to disappear. Almost at the same moment of her voice, he heard chips crunching. If chips were crunching, it was likely that eyes were watching, as he could practically hear Samaie's staring through the door at him. That boy had eyes of a hawk, it seemed…

"Minamaru, you can't hide in their all day. Your mom is downstairs waiting for you. He is adamant in not even touching his gifts until his children are with him. That included you."

Samaie's voice held none of the venom it had held the day before. That must mean that he had forgiven him…

Arune allowed himself to fall sideways so he could blindly reach out and wrap the blankets around him, hoping somewhat for it to hide him. It did no good when the door was thrust open, and the blankets ripped from his limp hands.

He didn't look up from his knees, but he could feel Aya's scowl radiating.

"Listen, Mr. Depression, you know you want to be downstairs, and everyone else knows they want you downstairs. Think of it as a movie, Ru-ru, and you're the comic relief during a bombing. We really need you down there, your green-daddy is about to start hyperventilating if you don't start marching right now."

Numbly, Minamaru shook his head. From where his face was hidden, his voice came out as a croak.

"No one wants me down there…"

Aya planted her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Uke-love, coddle some sense into Mr. Depression, would you?"

Jun sputtered at the nickname, but ultimately calmed down seconds later. The name had been introduced yesterday, which meant that there was nothing he could do about it today. The bed dipped under his supple weight, and then Minamaru's hair was being stroked by the living teddy bear.

"What's wrong, Arune?"

Minamaru refused to move an inch, keeping himself tightly within his protective ball. Instead, Jun lifted him partly up, and then rested Minamaru's head in his lap where he could better comfort the distraught boy. Minamaru listened to see if he could hear a scowl, growl, or a sigh from Jun's boy-love, but nothing came. His shoulders relaxed subtly under the older boy's ministrations.

"Arune, can't you tell us what's wrong?"

Weakly, he shook his head, the movement so small, not a hair on his head swayed. He heard Aya sigh, and then the bed dipped again as she crawled onto it and flopped down by their side.

She patted her thigh, ordering Oki to follow her, and then turned to look down at the boy's head. Oki decided that laying her head on Minamaru's folded legs would be the perfect idea, and then began licking the boy's hands. Minamaru gave no reaction. Amaya began petting Minamaru's head as well, paying careful attention to the orange streak running through it that the boy had put in sometime yesterday. It looked cute, how it ran straight through the raven hair with shocking brightness.

"Let me guess… You're upset, because the parents are upset about you kidnapping their man babies. Am I right?"

There was a moment where he thought about whether or not to admit it, and then decided it was best to. He didn't want to get on Aya's bad side too. So, he nodded one, again, the movement so small, not a hair shook. He heard Aya sigh again.

She stared down at him, and then looked up at Jun, who was staring sadly down at his young friend, and then looked to Samaie who was leaning casually against the far wall of the bedroom, then back to Minamaru. She slapped her hand to the mattress to see if that extracted a reaction, and growled when it didn't.

"Fine, I'll just call your butt-buddy in here to see if that makes you happy."

The bed suddenly gained some of its original form as Aya rolled off of it and onto the wooden floor. Arune heard her footsteps as she moved towards the door, and panicked.

He threw himself out of his ball and at Aya, tackling the eldest to the ground and holding there by straddling her waist. The whole thing took at most seven seconds, and left Aya with a 'WTF?' expression on her face as she looked up at him, then around him to Jun who was staring blankly at his hand that remained where Arune's head had been seconds ago, and a startled Oki who didn't seem to know if she should defend Aya, or just stay where she was. Aya looked back to Arune.

"Dude, what the hell?"

"Don't call Kanaye here!"

"… Why?"

Arune stared at her for a moment, and then ducked his head under her chin as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Forcibly, Aya sat up and scowled down at the orange and raven haired boy. After a moment of grudging silence, she began scratching his back in comfort.

"Ru-ru…?"

"… He'll tell me to be happy, and that will be the end of discussion."

Aya blinked, and looked to Jun, who looked to Samaie, who looked to Oki, who continued to try and figure out if she had to charge or heel. None of them were quite sure what to say to that. Finally, Aya said something off the top of her head to see if that made the young boy feel better.

"That bastard, how dare he."

"I know! He's been so upset and grouchy lately, and he just doesn't understand that I have emotions! It's like he's completely dead from the little man up! I could cry on him, and he would shove me away and say to dry my tears and get the hell away from him! He's never happy, so how can he tell me to be happy? I don't even feel as if our relationship is actually a relationship half the time with how he's always ordering me around and being so inconsiderate!"

Jun looked shocked, Aya looked perturbed, Samaie was confused as to how all of that had came up, and Oki was still indecisive. Finally-

"That bastard, how dare he."

"I know!"

"Do you want to come down to the party now? Iruka needs you down there, Makato's been begging for you like a bitch, and pup-daddy needs someone to distract Kouga 'cause bug-daddy got sent out on a mission today. I think green-daddy might need someone to hold Koi, but he has raccoon-daddy with him, so it might be fine on that end of the deal… What do ya say?"

Minamaru kept still for a moment, then he sniffled and looked up at Aya.

"Do they really forgive me?"

Aya smiled comfortingly, showing off a fang.

"Of course they do!"

He turned to Jun for confirmation, and was given another reassuring smile. When he looked to Samaie, he was gesturing for Minamamaru to get his butt downstairs, his mouth slightly tilted upwards.

With an explosion of movement, Arune had Jun, Samaie, and Aya in his grip, and was dashing down the stairs, planning on kidnapping him some babies. Oki remained indecisive on the bed for another ten seconds before realizing her mistress was gone.

Yapping the whole way, she ran to join them.

* * *

Lee had not been expecting the party.

He had been at death's door at many intervals in his life, this one time hardly seemed different, aside from the fact that this one left no external scars.

It had been a very happy surprise, walking through the front door with Koi in his arms, Gaara assisting in supporting him. Of course, there had been heat in Gaara's eyes, meaning that he would not be holding Koi long, much less anything else. He had been almost certain that he knew what would happen once he walked through the front door: there would be a babysitter for Koi, or Gaara planning on putting her in her crib, an empty house, and possibly multiple surfaces.

He had been wrong, on all accounts. There had been no babysitters, but more babies, and adults, and gifts. He had been ecstatic when he had seen them all. Now… Well, he loved the effort they had put into it, he was exuberant about the gifts and overeager to open them. The company was lovely, surrounded by his makeshift family, and the family he and Gaara had made… But that was just it!

His Roo-roo wasn't there… How could he be happy with only two of his three children by his side?

His color was almost entirely restored, aside from some gray bags under his eyes, and a just-off tone on his skin. His smile was stretched at best as he smiled up at his sensei, sitting down on a chair because he wasn't yet allowed to move all that much. He would have to bargain with Gaara about that later… Any means necessary.

Gai-Sensei didn't bother to ask what was wrong, Aya, Jun, Kanaye, and Samaie had already gone upstairs to hunt down the missing child. For some strange reason, after four minutes, Kanaye had came back down without his boyfriend, and had gestured for everyone to be patient. Strangely radiating emotions, he took his spot next to his chichi, who looked up at him questioningly. Kanaye shook his head, silently saying that they would talk about it later. They had been waiting for almost a minute more when feet began pounding down on the stairs.

With a slide of elegance, his Roo-roo popped into sight, and the three teens that had been set after him fell ungracefully to the ground, now released from the youngest one's hold. A yapping followed soon after, and then there was a dog pile in the middle of the room. Made literal by Oki who now rested on top of her master who was on top of Jun who was on top of Samaie.

"Quick, give me the babies, I've got the distraction techniques! Mommy, open your presents! Where are the babies- Oh, hello darlings!"

Almost as if by magical means, Makato, who had been in Iruka's arms, was now staring up at Minamaru from the floor at his feet, Kouga was growling at him from where he was near Minamaru's other foot, and a tendril of sand was holding koi delicately in front of the boy. With a squeal of joy, he grabbed the girl out of the air, and then leaned down to the two boys who looked as if they were about to start a baby fight with the other, already attempting to pound at each other. He handed Makato a Icha Icha novel to distract him, then took a small wooden box out of thin air as it appeared in a small veil of cloud and a 'poof'. Kouga eagerly reached into it, and took out a tarantula, which he began stroking as if it were one of the Inuzuka pups. Once they were distracted, Minamaru's eyes flew up to glare at his chichi, who had been watching with laughter in his eyes as well as everyone else.

"Open. Your. Presents."

His chichi held up his hands in submission, and then, his shoulders shaking slightly from laughter, went about following the command. Gaara's eyes went from his adopted son, to his husband, and then back again. It was not till his husband got to the third present (which was from Sakura, who had given him a first aid kit), then he nodded to Minamaru, sat himself down on the arm of the chair his husband sat in, and wrapped one arm firmly around his husband's shoulders.

The party went down without a hitch… until Naruto slipped alcohol into the fruit punch.

Then it went down with a bang.

* * *

This one was ridiculously spaced out name fairytale's idea, and she had already had it partially written. So, this one, give some credit to the lovely Minamaru-and-Kouga Creator, please!


	32. The Art of Comforting

Kanaye's obsidian eyes roamed from the hall to the next, attempting to get used to being in his own home again.

The party that had been given for his chichi had been last week, and they had finally returned home yesterday. At the hokage's manor, there had been too much clutter, talk, and people. Because the kazekage disapproved of such things, the clutter was put in it's appropriate places, the talk kept to a minimal, if held at all, and the people held at the same minimal. All of it out of respect, love, and fear of their kage.

He hoped to rule the same way.

He wasn't walking to his parents bedroom to discuss politics, though. He was going there because, after waiting for forty-five minutes, his father had finally left the room. What he was getting, or doing, Kanaye could not care. As long as he didn't have to repeat the one time where he had walked in after his father's temporary leave, and saw his naked chichi, tied down in an awkward position on the bed, again, he was fine. …

That had been one hell of a day.

At his parent's door, he listened carefully for any sound. He heard the shifting of the blankets, which either met that his chichi had free movement, or the sand was being playful. Unable to believe the latter, he went with the first and opened the door.

Luckily, he had been right.

His chichi had wrapped the blankets firmly around himself in a makeshift cocoon, his mouth slightly open in sleep, his eyes pressed tightly together. He was the epitome of sleep.

Unfortunately, Kanaye had waited too long to allow his chichi the rest he undoubtedly needed, and attacked the area next to his chichi with sand.

What kunais and other various weapons that did not whiz right pass him, were caught by the barrier that instantly rose around him. Not reflexive like his father's had been, he had just been expecting it.

The attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun when his chichi woke fully up and blinked, looking at the small portion of his son he could see around the grains.

As if he had not just assaulted his own son, he smiled winningly, and opened his arms wide.

"My red lotus! Good morning! Come in, come in! I feel as if we have not spoken in ages!"

At the begging of his chichi, he strode to his chichi's side, instantly receiving a crushing hug the moment he was within arms reach. Instead of fighting it, he leaned into it, closing tired eyes for a moment.

He had never understood adults who constantly complained about being old and always went on to talk about what they would do if they were young again. Now… He felt like a 40 year old, who only wished he had taken more hugs from his mother. So, as a 16 year old teenager, he fulfilled his wish.

At one point, he was just that little boy again, kneeling by his chichi, getting his back and hair stroked as his chichi hummed off-key. It was two minutes before he remembered he only had a certain time period to do what he had came to do.

"Chichi?"

"Yes, my beautiful red lotus?"

"How does father handle it every time you cry?"

There was a considering silence, his chichi looking down at him questioningly, before the man chuckled softly, a faint hue of red appearing on his cheeks. He closed his eyes, a soft, remembering smile on his face, and placed a hand over his naked chest where his heart lied underneath skin, bone, and muscle.

"He makes them go away…"

Kanaye tilted his head, his eyes swiveling to his chichi curiously, before he looked down to the mattress, leaning into the hand still stroking his hair.

"How?"

One of his chichi's eyebrows shot up, but he was not yet questioned about his strange behavior.

"He would kiss them away for me… You may not believe it, but your father is the most wonderfully romantic man on this earth! Even if he does not realize it."

One of Kanaye's thin eyebrows twitched.

"Father… romantic?"

It was clear by the tone of his voice that he was having difficulty believing that. His chichi nodded animatedly, his smile growing till Kanaye was forced to look elsewhere.

"Yosh! He always knows what to do to raise my spirits to their youthful peak again!"

A comfortable silence fell for another minute, Kanaye considering it, then he looked up to his chichi.

"Do you know where father is?"

His chichi smiled knowingly.

"He is in the kitchens, determined to have a day of relaxation and unity!"

He released his son as he stood up and moved out of the room again. Just as he reached the door, his chichi called to him, he looked at him over his shoulder.

His smile was still on his face.

"If you wish to know how to comfort Roo-roo, you should follow your own heart, and do as it commands you to do when our firefly is at his lowest."

His chichi shook his head once as Kananye narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Yet, it is always good to have an opinion. Remember that, my red lotus."

His chichi waves him away with a beaming smile on his face, most undoubtedly proud that his son was growing up.

Kanaye went to the kitchens in search of his father, and found him picking out fruits to go with the vegetables and other foods he had stacked on a large platter that balanced atop a mound of floating sand. Upon his arrival, the older redhead looked to him, waiting silently to hear the meaning behind the visit.

He got straight to the point.

"How the hell do you stop chichi from crying?"

Had his father had eyebrows, he was certain they would have shot up to his hairline in that moment. As it was, the older male went back to choosing and picking the more juicy foods. After a moment of debate, he looked back to his son.

"I do what I wish people near me would have done for me when I was a child."

Kanaye blinked, and then looked away, his jaw slightly clenched. He never liked it when his father's childhood was brought up, it just brought into perspective how wild and dangerous he had been, and why there were those everywhere he went that spat at him; not because of having two fathers, not because he was sometimes foreign to them, but because of his father and who he had been.

It also reminded him how unloved his father had been, and he _hated_ it.

The older male looked at his son out of the corner of his eyes, scrutinizing him, before he turned back around and began walking out of the kitchen. He stopped once, not moving a muscle for a second, before continuing. On the cue, Kanaye followed after his father.

"You never knew that kind of neglect, therefore, you don't know what you would have wished others would have done for you. Any comfort you had wished for, if I had not been capable of giving it to you by my means, your chichi would by his own means. As a child, I had known materialistic comforts, and those are the sort I had been more accustomed to give to you, you having been a child, and a different case from the full grown man your chichi had been. Lee is the one who held you when you cried, bandaged up your hurts, and took care of those motherly tasks. I don't know why you came to me to ask such a question, but something tells me you already went to your chichi?"

He looked out of the corner of his eye at his son to confirm so. When he saw that he was right, he looked straight ahead of him again.

"And?"

"… He said to do what my heart said for me to do."

"that is exactly what I did with him. I don't see how it will be any different for you."

They arrived at his parent's door again, and his father dismissed him with a flicker of his eyes.

"Tell Arune he has Koi to himself for another three hours. Then Lee will be able to watch her as I go to a meeting. You will have to be present for it, be ready by then."

Kanaye nodded, then walked away as his father opened his door and walked through.

He went back to his boyfriend's room, opened the door, and then silently closed it again.

In the corner of the room, Koi was sleeping obliviously in her crib, the green spandex suit tangled in her hands. Even throughout the pain around her, she remained painfully innocent.

For a moment, he stared at the mute boy who rested upon the bed in the center of the dark blue room. Yesterday, it had been an array of reds, oranges, and yellows. The color of the room depended on the mood of it's host.

Who had his head buried in his knees, his arms wrapped around them, and his shoulders almost unnoticeably shaking.

It had been an innocent nap three hours earlier, seeing as it was now 3 in the afternoon, and they had wished to sleep through the hottest part of the day. Kanaye had planned on sleeping until the meeting, already knowing that he had to go, but had been awakened almost an hour ago.

Minamaru continued to noiselessly sob, whatever nightmare that had caused him to whimper and cry out in his sleep still stuck in his mind. Kanaye knew a thing or two about nightmares, still occasionally having the dream of killing his own chichi, but this…

It had already been an hour. Yet, he continued to cry.

Kanaye had nearly turned to him and told him to stop and start smiling again. There was nothing wrong… well, there usually was something wrong… when his boyfriend was smiling, so, he wanted him to always be smiling. He had been five words away from it, when the conversation he had secretly been a part of came back to him from the day of his chichi's birthday.

It only upset Minamaru more when Kanaye attempted to order him to stop being upset. It upset him to the point where he didn't want the redhead around.

Kanaye honestly did not want to lose the younger boy, which had begun his search to find the perfect way to comfort him.

Nearly an hour after his quest, he knew only a little more than when he had left.

Fortunately, he felt he _understood_.

He advanced toward the bed, parting his in-home kimono partly as he sat back down on his side of the bed and pulled the upset boy to him.

Gently, he cupped the side of his boyfriend's head, and kissed his forehead gently. From there, he went to each eye, pressing his lips gently to each trembling eyelid, then moving onto strained lips, which he kissed just as gently, then pressed more firmly upon the petal pink lips.

For long seconds, Minamaru was unresponsive, then he relaxed ever so slightly. A little while longer, he uncurled one hand and gripped onto the edge of Kanaye's kimono, holding onto it tightly. Right as he opened his mouth, Kanaye pulled away, not wanting anything to turn into heat.

He wanted to give 'follow your heart' thing a try. The red thing was saying, in a voice strangely reminiscent of his chichi's, for no fire.

Just warmth.

Minamaru made no sound of protest, only allowing his head to be guided by Kanaye's hand to where he had bared his skin.

He pressed the black and orange haired boy's ear against his heart, allowing a shaky silence to fall.

As a child, the thing that had comforted him most was listening to his chichi's heartbeat. From that basis, he believed that it might also comfort his lover. He was right.

It took several minutes, (but, seeing as how Minamaru had started crying an hour ago, it was progress), until the other stopped shaking and his tears stopped falling. His breath began to come out slower and slower, his eyes falling shut once again as he curled one of his hands into Kanaye's.

Just as Kanaye was certain the other was asleep again, Minamaru spoke, his voice croaky and low as he kept his eyes closed.

"I had a nightmare…"

Kanaye looked down at his lover, than leaned more comfortably against the headboard.

"… I know…"

"… I dreamt I killed everyone I loved…"

Kanaye flinched, again remembering his own nightmare of killing his chichi. That had been bad enough, giving birth to many nights where he would stalk the edge of his parent's bed, keeping a keen eye on his chichi as if to catch himself in the act. His father had never been happy about it, but had allowed him to continue doing so.

"…"

"… I did it because Orochimaru told me to…"

There was sudden silence, and a cold dread spread throughout the room. Kanaye stared blankly at the bed, then turned startled eyes to his lover.

He was asleep.

* * *

What you don't know is that ridiculously spaced out name fairytales and I know something you don't know about the wonderful Minamaru, orphan of Konoha, who became the love of the Sabaku family. I might reveal it in some later chapter, though… It's just sweet revenge on all of those stories I've read where no one updates and I'm left with a cliffhanger. Unlike them, I plan on getting to it.


	33. The Art of Deceiving

A cry rang out from the crib on the other side of the room from the sleeping sensei.

For the third time, it was unintentionally ignored.

The white-haired boy within the bars of the crib sighed, wiping at his teary eyes as they wandered back to the Icha Icha novel on the table right next to his mommy. Story time had been three minutes ago, and his mother wasn't even awake.

Finally, he just could not take it anymore.

Nine month old, intensely intelligent, Hatake, Makato took out the toy kunai he had been given by his father two weeks ago, and picked the lock on his crib.

As the side of the crib retracted into itself, he grabbed it so it wouldn't crash.

He wasn't quite ready to come out about his geniusness, which would be forced to come about if his mother caught him escaping the reinforced prison.

As it landed softly, he leaped out, stumbling only once as his unsteady feet touched the carpeted floor, then made his way carefully to his destination. Once he reached the beautifully bound porn book, he opened it, and stared animatedly at the pages. He wasn't smart enough to know the words, as of yet, that is, but he understood what he was seeing… to a point, anyway.

Such as this picture right here, where this woman was acting like a dog and humping this man's leg. It made no sense to him, did it bring about a good reaction?

Slowly, Iruka roused himself from sleep, exhausted beyond imagining after the extra shift he had had to take the night before. Damn that old pervert for being late from another mission, he was supposed to watch Makato today.

Don't get him wrong, he loves his son more than anyone could actually guess. After all, he had been given a 50 percent chance of actually conceiving all of those years ago when he had first nearly died from child bearing, as well as a 47 percent chance of living through it a second time. Regardless, he had forced Kakashi to accept that he was going to have a child, preferably his, and was going to have it when he wanted.

Which, ultimately, gave birth to Makato with no problems at all.

Still, he needed the rest, and he needed Kakashi to show up home today, or he'd have to contact Lady Tsunade on sending out a search team on his husband. That was always unpleasant-

…

Iruka kept himself deceivingly still as he stared at his son through half-lidded eyes. Was his son really…standing? On his own? When Iruka had had to hold him up earlier that same day because he was too shaky on his feet!?

Yet, he was having no trouble with it now.

He waited till his son turned another page in the book, and then shot up from his sleeping position, and pointed accusingly at his son.

"You little liar! You can stand all on your own!"

For a moment, his son stared blankly up at him, uncomprehending, then realization dawned in his crystal blue eyes. He fell backwards, his bum hitting the ground, dropped the book onto the ground after him, and began slapping the pages with childish joy, creasing the paper as he violently turned the pages.

Iruka was not fooled, not anymore.

He stood up and rounded on his son, a victorious smile on his face.

"I knew you were to like your father to not be a damn good liar."

He leaned down, tapping a finger to his son's nose, signaling for the other to stop the act.

With a pout, Makato grudgingly stop beating the book, and went back to reading it as it was meant to be read: with respect.

Iruka stood again, both happy and pissed that his son was able to walk, stand, and understand. He was pissed because he took to well after his father, and that was going to end up with someone getting hurt someday. He walked into the kitchen, rummaged through a few cupboards, and then found his target: the camera.

He now had proof that the genius of Hatake, Kakashi had actually transferred to his son. For one reason or another, people refused to believe that his son understood what he was reading and was manipulative because he knew how, not because he knew it would bring him something, or that is was cute.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Makato was upset that he had gone through all of the trouble of being silent, and considerate of his position, just to be caught seconds later and to slow to play it out innocently.

He had also landed back on the page with the woman humping the man's leg…

It couldn't possibly work… but it might.

Iruka stepped back into the room, and stopped upon seeing an all too familiar smile on his son's face. For a moment, he thought about backing away, and then decided against it.

He had never done so for Kakashi, he was not going to do so for his son…

Who was standing up and walking towards him!

Iruka smiled happily, and set up the camera, pointing it at his son, who seemed to have no trouble moving about.

"Smile for daddy, Makato!… Makato!?"

The camera fell out of his limp hands as his son did the most strange, most disturbing thing he had ever thought a Hatake capable of.

He went doggy style on his leg.

* * *

Kakashi walked through his front door, battle worn, and in need of a good wash.

Instead of getting a hot, muscle relaxing, shower like he really wanted to, he followed the scent of steaming vegetables to the kitchen. On the way, he passed his son, who looked awfully smug about one thing or another.

Upon catching his father's eye, Makato winked, pointing down to the page of the Icha Icha novel he was, again, looking at. Good naturedly, he leaned over the crib side to study it, and then looked back to his son inquiringly. Makato gestured to the kitchen where his daddy was, and then began madly clapping.

The devil himself walked through Kakashi's eyes as he understood.

He took off his Jounin vest, badge, and mask as he walked into the next room. On his pale face, marred only by a scar that went from his left temple to his top lip, splitting the skin slightly, which only seemed to add to his sinfully good looks. Perfectly white teeth, not overly bright like that of his rival and best friend, Gai, were pressed together to stop his chuckles from escaping.

Makato was his secret spy while he was away, seeing as how Kakashi had caught him using a pole to grab one of his Icha Icha Paradise novels back when he had only been somewhere around three months old. They had had a deal ever since: Makato's secret of his intelligence would be kept from the world, as long as he told Kakashi everything Iruka did, and whoever he talked to.

The great copycat nin needed another pair of eyes every once in a while. What better pair of eyes than those of his son, who no one would suspect?

Chopping celery, Iruka's face was grimly set, his eyes hard and stony as he looked straight down at the harmless vegetable. Kakashi smiled joyfully, walking to his husband's side to wrap his arms around the obviously furious man, and snuggled his head into his shoulder. Iruka either decided to ignore him, or was used to it by now.

Kakashi opted for the latter.

"How was your day, my adorable little dolphin?"

His teasing was met with a deathly glare. Iruka turned back to his celery, jaw clenched tightly.

"You're late… again."

"Ah, I'm sorry, my cute little sea flyer! You see, I had came across this monk, who was entrapped in the spell of this evil enchantress. She told me that the only way she would set the monk go was if I defeated her two sons, Ninmai, and Neru! And-"

"Damn it, stop lying!"

Kakashi looked up at his husband from his snuggled position, then to the knife that was a millimeter from is iris, then back again. His eyes closed as he smiled again.

"Did something upsetting happen today?"

Iruka, after a moment of frozen debate on whether or not to kill his husband of 25 years, then he went back to cutting the celery into tiny, tiny bits… like he wished his husband's head was.

"Nothing happened, it was a good day…"

"Oh?"

"Yes…"

"… So Makato never went doggy style on your leg?"

Iruka choked, turning the knife on his husband as he chased the white haired man through the house.

From where he was in the crib, Makato looked at the two adults who had suddenly stopped running, and then to the knife that dropped to the ground as his father did the dirty to his mommy, then sighed, rolled his eyes, and went back to Icha Icha Paradise land.

Where _sane_ people were…

Who didn't forget about dinner.

* * *

Ridiculously spaced out name fairytales and I were discussing this during lunch. Our version was slightly different, but I couldn't get it to come out that way, for some reason. Yes, Makato is a freakin' super genius, anyone got a problem with that? Wait, in the next chapter, he _shall _be able to read.

Ninmai means 'portion of food', and Neru means 'to rest', or something like that. Basically, it means that Kakashi defeated hunger and tiredness. Iruka, clearly, wasn't amused.


	34. conspiracy theory

"Lady Tsunade, what did you want me here for?"

Jun stood in the Hokage's office, confused and perturbed.

Lady Tsunade didn't look all that welcoming, an empty bottle of sake twirling lazily in one hand, her other tapping annoyingly at her cheek, her chin clenched tightly. There was a like of other sake bottles lined up on her desk, and her eyes were hazy, as well as spitting fire, her lips twisted into a scowl.

Which wasn't the reason he was perturbed.

It was because of the Suna official in the room, one he had never before seen. He knew he had never before seen the man because it was clear there was no way to forget him.

The stranger had magenta eyes that had stabbed him the moment Jun had walked into the room, to this very moment he stood before his kage. It wasn't the type of stabbing gaze that said 'I'm into you', it was the kind that said 'I suspect you'. Jun did not like it at all. His fingers fiddled uncertainly, eyes focused on Lady Tsunade in hopes that he could ignore the glare. It wasn't working so well. To go with the strangely colored eyes, he had dark midnight blue hair that was tied in a loose ponytail that ended at his shoulders. He had a desert sand complexion that reminded Jun of Kanaye's dad. He wore black sandals and black bandage that went from his ankle to his knees, then the dark blue ninja pants and a shinobi vest that was tight across his chest, but loose over his stomach. As far as Jun could tell, he wore no shirt, seeing as how no sleeves peeked out from beneath the vest.

Samaie was going to be upset if he saw him with the stranger. Of course he knew that Jun would never cheat on him, Jun was too loyal to even look at another guy with that kind of thought in mind, but he was always certain that someone else might try to force their attentions on him…

Which Aya always seconded. Luckily, Kanaye was usually there to back him up at those times and remind them of their first mass murder mission… Jun hated how fast the silence could go awkward after that.

The honey haired boy attempted to shrug his shoulders in hopes of jacking his vest up higher again. The stranger had been staring intently at the hickey Samaie had placed high on his neck the night before. They hadn't had intercourse yet, Aya seemed to have a sensor for that and always barged in at the exact wrong time.

He suspected she did the same thing every time Kanaye and Arune tried to do it when ever they were in Konoha or when he and Aya went out to visit them.

Either way, it was extremely uncomfortable, and the silence was becoming awkward, despite his best attempts to make it not so. Finally, Lady Tsunade snorted, seemingly at a joke in her own head, then looked up at Jun with mocking eyes.

"It wasn't out of hurt pride."

Something in Jun went cold, his almond colored eyes widening slightly. His fingers clenched the bag of sweet and sour chips a bit too tightly, causing them to crunch.

"It had to be out of hurt pride…"

She almost giggled, blearily grabbing another bottle and tilting it forward as she tilted her head back. A drop landed on her tongue, then went it dry. She put it back, scowled at it, then flicked it so it landed on the floor. Slightly swaying, she looked back to the horrified Nara-Akamichi.

"So, you know exactly what I'm talking about?"

Jun gave no answer, staring into empty space as he was. Lady Tsunade gestured to the newcomer for him to say what he seemed to have came there to say. Before he had the chance, Jun went into denial, staring hopelessly at his bag of chips.

"He tried to kill Lee out of hurt pride! There's no other reason it happened, there can't be!"

There was a thick silence. The stranger didn't even blink. Lady Tsunade scowled again.

"Why can't there be any other reason? Why did it have to be out of hurt pride?"

Jun looked up, meeting the stranger's eyes for the second time that night.

"Because if it wasn't…"

He looked away, not liking the certain aura that was circulating through the room. It smelled of something bad that was coming on.

"That means that I'm here… because you guys think it's going to happen again…"

A cold smile went over the stranger's face, not entering his eyes at all.

"We don't 'think' it's going to happen again."

Not liking his tone, but hopeful of what that meant, Jun looked up at him. The cold smile grew wider.

"We know it's going to happen again."

* * *

"Hey, Oki! Oki, girl! Here, baby!"

Amaya leaped over another fallen tree. She jumped into a tree. From there, she looked down to the ground, hoping to see her crème furred wolf. She was nowhere in sight.

With a growl, Amaya continued her search. She was annoyed because she was supposed to be meeting Jun outside the Hokage's office today. She was scared because Oki had never pulled a disappearing act like this on her before.

If she knew she was being followed, she didn't let on. The stalker landed silently on the tree she had just evacuated, staring intently after her. With a slight shove, the stalker followed her close behind her, the wind blowing towards the stalker.

* * *

"You don't know for certain!"

Jun was upset, holding his bag of chips in one hand that was fisted at his side. His other hand pointed accusingly at the stranger, his eyes angry and desperate.

He didn't want to have to think about what it would mean if they were right. It was just to scary.

The bluenette smirked, again, the expression not reaching his eyes.

"We do, actually. Whoever sent the first attack on the kazekage's husband sent another attack on him three days from three hours ago."

Jun turned shocked eyes on his hokage, who was scowling at the sake bottle she held in her hands. Then he looked back to the Suna nin.

"How come we haven't heard about it till now?"

"Actually, _we _know about it. It doesn't leave this room that our fire country allies are aware of the second assassination attempt on Sabaku no Lee."

"How does that help anybody!?"

"We want to see if an attempt is made here. If we were to openly admit that we warned our allies, the offenders might abandon their cause. We want to catch them."

Jun was horrified. He grabbed his bag of chips between both hands, kneading the plastic as he nibbled at his bottom lip in distress.

"… Is he okay?"

The stranger nodded once, his cold smile disappearing with the mention of his kage's husband.

"He is not aware of the second attempt on his life. The attempt was made on him while he was asleep."

Jun stared at the floor for a moment, then he began laughing, his shoulders shaking slightly in amusement. The stranger gave away no emotion.

"I see you've heard of the kage's husband's muscle memory?"

Jun nodded, some of the tension melting away as happy memories beat it down.

"One time, Aya and I snuck into his room while he was sleeping once as little kids. Kanaye was doing rounds with his dad, and Aya was bored… We ran so fast out of that room after Kanaye's mom grabbed the water balloons we had with us and began hitting us so hard with them! He wasn't even awake for it! Aya refused to tell him where the welts we were wearing later came from…"

"He didn't kill the offender, luckily, it only terrified him that an unconscious man had attacked him. The Kazekage interrogated him for nearly three hours before we learned this new information."

The stranger took out a scroll from his pouch, then unfolded it to show the hidden contents. Laughter turned into horror again as Jun studied the script.

On it's paper, everyone one in their family, from Aya's branch of it, to Naruto's, were printed. Among the names were also the healing nins that had assisted in their conceive and their births. In other words, everyone that had had a baby born between a same-sex couple due to Lady Tsunade's experiment, and all those that had made it possible.

Lee's name was first on the page, then the other 'mothers' followed after him.

Terrified, Jun looked from it to the stranger. The scroll snapped shot.

"We learned that he's not the only one with this scroll. There are other shinobi with such hit lists, but with a different group assigned to them."

* * *

The stalker landed silently in the middle of the opening in the forest, his eyes roaming from left to right underneath his mask.

He had lost sight of his target.

For seconds longer, he rotated his head and body in an attempt to find her, unwilling to reach out with his chakra to locate the target.

With a sudden sense of not being alone, he spun around. Directly behind him, his target looked furious, her one hand curled into a first, the other twirling a kunai lazily. Her opaque eyes spat poison at him, fangs peaking out over her bottom lip.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what happened to my baby, would you?"

* * *

"This is so wrong."

Jun smoothed out the plastic bag, then looked with uncertain eyes to his intoxicated kage.

"Why am I the only one here?"

Lady Tsunade rotated in her chair until her head rested on her folded arm which rested on the desk.

"You're Amaya's babysitter… And you two are going to find the offenders that are hiding in our city and bring them down."

Jun grimaced, looking down at the logo on his chips. He bit nervously at his lip, his eyes closing for a moment.

"Don't ask us to do that…"

Lady Tsunade's one eyebrow shut up.

"Oh? Why not?"

Jun's eyes became shadowed by his bangs, his hands shaking subtly.

"I can't do it again, Lady Tsunade. The anger and fury was the only thing that got me going the first time, but that only lasted until we were actually doing it… I was dead by the time I got out of there, Lady Tsunade… And, Aya?… Don't tell her to do that…"

The kage snorted, her eyes rolling in amusement.

"She can't handle it either?"

Jun shook his head slowly at first, then more furiously. He looked with desperate eyes at his kage.

"No, because she'll be eager to do it."

Just as he finished, his back snapped straight up. A thick silence fell as another chakra invaded their senses.

Seconds later, the very girl they were discussing leaped upon the open window…

With an interesting package in hand… that was, surprisingly, breathing.

Jun's eyes widened with shock.

"Aya, what are you doing with him?"

Amaya scowled, her eyes glaring as they shot from him to her kage, then landed on the newcomer. Her eyes narrowed dangerously upon the stranger, then she turned back to Jun.

"I can't find Oki anywhere. When I was lookin' in the woods, this guy was tailing my ass. When I surprised him, all hell broke out. I still have no idea where Oki is, and he wouldn't answer me if he knew where she was. So, I knocked his ass out."

She scowled, looking back to the stranger, then to Jun, then dropped the criminal inconsiderately on the ground. She pointed a finger rudely at the stranger, asking Jun,

"Who's the new guy?"

Jun shrugged shakily, looking from the offender to his best friend. The stranger moved from his set position to study the unconscious man more closely, then snagged Aya's hand and shoved her into the room.

She landed on the floor, luckily on her hands and knees instead of a full body flop, then turned to glare at the Suna nin.

"I'm sorry."

Her tone suggested otherwise as her eyes spat at him.

"Was I supposed to ask you that?"

The stranger's magenta eyes swiveled to her opaque eyes. Aya's scowl grew into a twisted smirk as she stood up. She mock bowed the Suna nin.

"I'm so sorry, your majesty. What be your name, your royal assiness?"

The Suna nin stood up as well, his eyes assessing her, then going cold.

"Hitori."

Then he reached out and grabbed her chin between two fingers, causing Jun to choke as he lifted her head from it's bowed position, putting his face an inch or so from hers. Aya's eyes grew exceptionally wide from the close contact, a red hue showing itself across her cheeks.

"I'll be your partner until this mission is over, Ms. Man Hater."

With that, he released her, going back to inspecting the stalker.

For a moment, Aya looked torn between gaining her cool back, or attacking the Suna nin. Jun gave a long suffering sigh as he watched.

This was going to be painful, the whole way.

* * *

This time, just a girl two, and I, know something you don't. I've been attempting to incorporate this character in for a while, then just a girl two gave a suggestion, and this came out… which is actually my second attempt… I like this one better. If you agree, please do tell.


	35. What Lee Doesn't Know

Lee was beginning to suspect something was wrong in his family….

Not something bad, of course not!… Just… As if…

His family was not telling him something.

He believed that, whatever it may have been, happened… possibly sometime last week…

Seeing as that was when he never slept alone again, nor did he leave the house unescorted… His firefly and red lotus had become his official body guards, if anyone asked.

There had never been a time in Lee's life where there had been such a long period of time where he never woke up alone. His lover usually got about two, three hours of sleep on a regular basis, then went back to work. Depending on how lazy, or tired, the redhead was, Lee got to see him. If the Kazekage felt he had time to stare at Lee for a long period of time, he would usually wake up under the intense stare after a few hours. If the Kazekage came home late in the night, possibly early morning, they could usually wake up at the same time.

Otherwise, Lee woke up alone. Neither of his sons had slept with him in years, and he had never trusted himself to fall asleep with a baby in his bed. Koi remained safely in her crib during the hours of the night, just as Kanaye had years ago.

Now, there was not one day he could look over his shoulder and _not_ see a familiar face. Yes, he was familiar with almost everyone within the Suna walls, having met with most of them on occasion, helped everyone who had ever asked…

These were people who he usually saw at home, or those that visited frequently because of business. ANBU, his sons… even Gaara…

For the seventh night in a row, Lee woke up with a head of red on his one side, another head of black, orange, and red on his other, Roo-roo having dyed another streak through it the other day. In his arms, Roo-roo held Koi securely, as he had for the past week as well as sleeping with Lee.

It was truly, utterly amazing… Just because he knew that they had not been there when he had went to sleep, which is usually sometime after his husband comes home, makes love, then takes his nap.

The First Beautiful Green Beast of Suna, really wished he knew how they knew the moment he was alone and slipped into the bed without him noticing.

He also wished, with great concentration and confusion, that he could find out _why_ they had been doing so.

It was not that he found it annoying. On the contrary, he loved it with all of his fiery youth!… It was that he found it startling. He could not understand what had drove them from their bed into his every time his husband left in the early morning.

… Was it because they missed him? Maybe they had felt neglected while he had been in the hospital three or so weeks ago after he had been poisoned…?

In all honesty, no one had ever told him what had happened while he had been asleep. They had told him _what _had happened, _when_ it had happened, _how_ it had happened… but not what had happened _during _his unconsciousness. For one strange reason or another after he had woken up, every one of the teens had became protective of him, more silent in a way…

Maybe this was a delayed reaction to that?

Either way, Lee found it highly enjoyable to just cuddle with his children upon waking up. The last time they had slipped into bed with him had been so long ago, he had missed their conjoined warmth. Yes, having his redheaded devil in bed with him was highly enjoyable, but Gaara was not his child, nor did the silence last long with him.

He snuggled into their combined warmth, curious, but unquestioning of their actions. He would have to ask his redhead devil about it when he came home.

* * *

If anyone's confused, they're attached to him by the hip because of the second attempt on his life. If no one understood how Lee doesn't know about it, it was because he was unconscious.


	36. ARank Mission

"I'm on a mission with raccoon-daddy! I'm on a mission with raccoon-daddy! And we gonna go kick some ass! Yeah!"

Minamaru's sing song voice was the only sound that followed the duo as they made their way through the borders of the wind country. If Gaara was aware of his adopted son's singing, he didn't let on, his eyes focused forward through the sand storm they were experiencing.

That didn't mean he hadn't thought about dropping the barrier so the younger boy would have a mouthful of sand if he continued singing. He reigned in the desire and continued forward through the howling winds, his mind calming somewhat in the familiar surroundings.

His adopted son continued his annoying mantra.

"I'm on a mission with raccoon-daddy! I'm on a mission with raccoon-daddy! And we gonna kick some ass! Yeah!"

Finally, Gaara turned his head to sharply pin the boy down with a reprimanding gaze. Minamaru fell silent, hurt in his eyes as his red, orange, black, and purple hair was only gently touched by the roaring winds. Demurely, he put his hands behind his back, tilted his head down, looking altogether innocent under the Kazekage's accusing gaze.

"We're on this mission to find the origination of the assassins after Lee and those that participated in the male reproduction experiment. We are not out here in the middle of a desert storm for you to give away our position to any enemy lying in wait."

Minamaru pouted, his eyes becoming larger as he put the puppy dog look to work.

"But you'd sense them before they'd hear us, raccoon-daddy. There's nothing to worry about."

Gaara turned his back once again in the multi-colored haired boy. For a moment, his eyes narrowed, then he stopped moving. Behind him, Minamaru stopped as well, looking to Gaara curiously. The kage spread his legs slightly apart, raising one hand that clenched slightly as he directed his palm in a certain direction. Once he was certain he was on target, his fingers bit suddenly into his palm.

Minamaru tilted his head, certain he had just heard something over the howling wind that beat the barrier around them. Gaara calmly put his arm back to his side, continuing forward.

"Now there's nothing to worry about."

Minamaru's mouth formed a small 'o', before he began following again, humming beneath his breath the same mantra.

This continued for what could have been an hour, though they couldn't be certain with how they were unable to see the sun. It remained blotted out by the sand storm.

It was as the storm died down that Gaara stopped abruptly once again, his eyes sweeping from left to right as if he could see through the flying grains. He held out an arm in a signal for his adopted son to stop, who did so immediately, his grape colored eyes gaining an edge. Gaara turned his eyes momentarily to him.

"We're going to go meet this group. They're moving around us towards Suna. They're either harmless, or another group of assassins."

They darted towards the unknown group, remaining in the light cover left by the remaining gusts of wind that blew about some grains. Gaara fisted his hands, his expression not changing a squint, then the sand rose once again. The cover became heavy once again, the wind almost nonexistent at this point.

* * *

The unknown group certainly had no idea what had just happened, they observed as they stood unnoticed in their midst. They had already been taking their sand gear off by the time the storm Gaara had created reached them. Now their goggles, boots, and covers were blown out of reach. They could only reach blindly through the sudden storm to try to locate them once again.

Safely within the barrier surrounding them, Gaara read the scroll he had confiscated from one of the stranger's pouches.

In it, Lee's name was first among the long list of names for anyone that had had a part in the Male Pregnancy Experiment.

The redhead's eyes were emotionless as he silently rolled it back up and placed it in a pocket on the inside of his red overcoat, watching the floundering men the whole time. Behind him, Minamaru waited patiently for an order to be handed out, his hands clenched at his side in anticipation of the verdict of innocent or guilty.

Gaara's eyes flitted to him again, then he lifted his right hand. Slowly, he began to curl his fingers into his palm once again, sand rising in a tornado around the five or so men.

At the last moment, his eyes widened in shock. There were five 'poofs' from within the circle he had created, then the jutsu that had made it seem as if the enemy were there disappeared.

These shinobi were more skilled than the last three attempts that he had heard of as of yet.

He spun around, his fingers spread apart, attracting a wave of sand after it, to catch the kunais that flew suddenly at him from within his own barrier. Behind him, Minamaru went into a defense stance, setting about a jutsu to bring down the two ninja that were suddenly before him.

Between Gaara against the three shinobi circling him, it became a dance. The Kazekage was a motion of limbs, each move followed by an attack of sand. They ducked, came in, retreated, swerved, as well as flipped to avoid being hit. Regardless, one ninja flew backwards, nearly ripped in two by the powerful slash of sand that had attacked him.

With Minamaru against his two opponents, it seemed to be more of a game. The pouch that Minamaru held securely around his waist as others would hold their kunais was opened. His fingers dipped into the opening, then came out, followed by a string of glittering shards of glass. With practiced, quick movements, he took down one of the two almost instantly. The other was more difficult. Despite the small size of the shards, as well as their deadliness with how they cut through the skin instantly into another's organs, causing internal bleeding or fatal damage, the other opponent refused to be caught. His dance was elegant as the Kazekage's as he ducked closer and closer to the Jounin till Minamaru was startled to realize the other was directly in his face.

In a last ditch attempt, Minamaru took a kunai out of his desert coat, his eyes wide as he acted on instinct. The kunai caught the enemy in the throat…

Just as he caught Minamaru in the gut with a kunai of his own.

Unable to contain himself, he screamed in surprise as well as pain, gripping the heavily bleeding injury as he released the dead ninja. He dropped to the sand as the wound became almost instantly numb, his breathing coming out quick as well as harsh.

Gaara momentarily looked to his adopted son, then took a quick double take. When he turned back to the last opponent who was standing, his face was twisted into a sneer. With no time left for him to play their games, he became serious instead of languid.

Seconds later, Gaara was opening the only healing jutsu he had ever cared to learn, one he had had to after it first occurring to him that his husband was going to continue coming home injured. The chakra over Minamaru's gut wound became a light green as it worked to heal the worst of it from the inside out. As he finished, his blue-green eyes assessing of his effort, then wrapped his arms around the unconscious boy, lifting him up off the desert floor.

The desert storm died as they disappeared in a swirl of sand.

Left behind were five bodies. One of them had only microscopic wounds, the body closest to that had a slit throat. Further away, a man nearly ripped in two faced the sun, though it couldn't be told if he stared in horror or blankly because of his mask. The other body left behind had lost her mask in the battle against the Kazekage; her face was stuck in a scream with her body pointing at odd angles.

The last man that had been left standing? There was nothing left, unless the blood and gore counted.

Within hours, their burial was placed far beneath the sand domes, scorpions coupled with the snakes and lizards of the dangerous deserted land…

* * *

Gaara stepped casually into his own home, appearing as if nothing different had happened on this mission that happened on any other mission…

If the blood soaking the front of his desert wear could be considered normal, which is sometimes was, or the unconscious Minamaru in his arms… which was _not _considered normal.

"Gaara! Roo-roo! Welcome home my battle worn men-… WHAT HAPPENED TO MINAMARU?!?"

Lee, standing at the foot of the stairs with his eyes wide as saucers, had Koi securely supported in one arm, while his other hand clenched on the stair case railing. He paled as he stared at his benumbed son, then looked to Gaara with horrified eyes. In his arms, Koi whimpered uncertainly, aware of the heavy atmosphere, but not sure how to react to it at her extremely young age.

Gaara, in a comforting manner, met his husband's eyes.

"He's fine. He hasn't woken up yet, that's all."

Lee, despite his husband's sincerity, still darted forward to check up on his son himself. With his one free hand, he whispered it across Minamaru's skin, his eyes serious and searching for any damage. His fingers came across the scabbed wound in his son's gut and stilled.

Lee looked from Gaara, to his adopted son, back to Gaara, then to his crying daughter. With a relieved sigh, he held his baby up to his lips and gently kissed her.

"Your bubba is going to be just fine, my blooming rose! He was traveling with the most wonderful company!"

As he continued to whisper to her, she quieted, her blank black eyes staring at her 'mommy's' face. Lee smiled, somewhat shakily, as he met her eyes.

As this occurred, Minamaru began to stir in his adopted father's arms. Slowly, he opened his eyes, still holding a lingering of pain. He blinked a few times, clearing his vision, before he looked up to who was holding.

Instantly, he smiled brightly.

"Hi, raccoon-daddy!"

His voice was somewhat hoarse from the brush with death, but he seemed to be trying to ignore the earlier activities.

"Did we kick their butts like I said we would?"

After a moment's hesitation, Gaara nodded.

As Minamaru smiled proudly, Kanaye came lazily down the stairs, stopping abruptly when he saw his boyfriend in his father's arms. In a flash, he was by their side, his eyes steely as he looked at his father as he took his lover from his arms.

Lee's expressive eyebrows shot up at the display of anger, then looked to Gaara to see his expression. Despite his stern face, Lee could _sense_ his confusion as Kanaye turned his back on them, opting to walk back up the stairs to their room. Over the redhead's shoulder, Minamaru waved at them, not attempting to escape his boyfriend's hold.

"I call Koi tonight!"

Lee began giggling as Gaara's face changed to stern to calculating. Gently, he swayed his body, coercing his baby child to go back to sleep with her green spandex baby blanket. Her finger twitched, grabbing onto his lengthening hair for a moment, then she closed her eyes, falling to sleep easily in her 'mother's' arms.

He waited patiently for Gaara to question him.

After two minutes of standing silently before the front door, Gaara turned to his lover with debate still a whisper through his blue-green eyes.

"Was he jealous that I was holding his lover?"

Lee's shoulder began to noticeably shake, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake up his daughter. He looked to husband with fondness in his obsidian eyes.

"No, no, he was not jealous, Gaara-love. He knows that you would never be that way inclined in Roo-roo."

Gaara's eyes narrowed, not liking that he was unable to understand his son's strange behavior.

"So why was he angry?"

Lee reveled in the moment. It did not happen often that he knew something his lover did not. As a matter of fact, he could not remember the last time that had happened… It was only with times like these, where emotions were involved, that he knew more than the other.

"Do you remember that time when Gai-Sensei carried me back after I had accidentally stumbled across the enemy with no back up? Do you remember how furious you were, not because Gai-Sensei was holding me, but because you knew that, had you been there, it never would have happened?"

Gaara's jaw subtly clenched at the reminder. That had been two weeks before their relationship had begun. He had admitted to having wanted to be the one on the mission with Lee when he had awoken hours after being entered into the hospital. At the time, he hadn't understood why he had felt that way, aside from the fact that he was protective of all of his closer friends, having had few as close to him then as Naruto and Lee had been as well as his two siblings.

His eyes rotated from the stairs he had been staring at to Lee.

"So he was jealous."

Lee's eyebrows drew together, not sure how his husband had got that. He began to shake his head, but was stopped as his husband continued.

"He was jealous that he wasn't the one there for his lover."

Put into that sense, Lee had to nod his head in agreement, somewhat sad his moment of higher intelligence had ended so fast. He quickly gained back his enthusiasm as Gaara took Koi from his arms to look down at his daughter.

"… He thinks he could have done better than I could…"

Lee blinked in surprise, then tapped a finger against his chin, considering it.

"In a sense… He believes that he could have saved our firefly from any damage with the power of his eternal love… He has never before been on a mission with our firefly to suggest otherwise…"

Lee squeezed his eyes shut, his body trembling slightly as he bit at his bottom lip. Unable to contain his joy, he squealed in delight, directing the 'good guy pose' towards the stairs Kanaye and Minamaru had disappeared up some time ago.

"Yosh! With their unbreakable bond, they shall be able to defeat any problem that should arise! As long as they stand side by side, nothing shall rip them apart! For always, they shall-!"

Lee, after a startled moment, leaned into the lips pressed against his own, a red hue rising in his face with how their daughter was pressed lightly between their chests. When tongue was introduced, Lee drew the line, pulling away from his devious redhead.

"Gaara! Not in front of Koi!…"

Then he took a step back to inspect his love. He had blood splatters over his chest and some over his face. As always, the sand had not remained attached to him, but the faint tang of sweat was on the air. For once, it was not Lee.

Lee smiled again.

"Let us go take a shower, neh?"

He took Koi back from Gaara, brushing his lips momentarily over the other's.

"I will put her in her crib as you do start the shower, alright?"

Gaara, his eyes at half mast with the promise behind the words, wordlessly nodded. They broke apart, Lee going upstairs, Gaara taking off his bloodied overcoat before moving to the bath room to begin the small shower.

* * *

"Kana- Mmph!"

Minamaru arched into the seductive mouth nipping along the new scar, his hands clenched at his sides.

Contrary to what most people might believe, both boys remained virgins. If it wasn't Aya barging in on them, it was their 'mommy', or someone else; whether by accident or purpose, they never told. They had been limited to oral, hand, or making out.

Aside from that, Kanaye was not going to have sex with a 13 year old. Yes, oral, hand, in addition to making out, were just fine. Minamaru was younger than most when they became sexually active, Kanaye refused to be singled out as a pedophile or as a later regret if the younger boy suddenly matured to realize it had only been a crush. Of course, the redhead would not easily accept that, but he wouldn't become a stalker like Hito, nor be haunted by sex life together.

In this case, it seemed he was trying to make Minamaru cum by just touching him… which might just work if he kept rubbing the younger boy's nipples.

The sinful mouth traveled from his new scar to his navel, his tongue dipping it, before he continued upward. Once he reached Minamaru's chest, he removed his right hand to lavish the taut bud with his mouth instead. Minamaru whimpered slightly, squirming underneath the attention.

He kept forgetting why telling Kanaye that his nipples were sensitive was a bad thing. Unfortunately, moments like these reminded him. As soon as he began crying out, Kanaye abandoned his chest altogether, moving back down to nip one set of abs with his teeth.

As Minamaru grabbed at his long red hair, pulling him back up to may more attention to his hard nipples, Kanaye bit down on the petal pink bud, growling slightly while doing it. Minamaru gasped, then pulled the older boy closer, arching more fully into the contact.

"You"

Kanaye kissed the other's collarbone, before biting it punishing.

"lied"

He licked at the opposite bud, before nibbling somewhat hard on it.

"to me."

In his own defense, Minamaru moaned before he was able to answer the older teen.

"I said I'd come -Oh!- back!"

Kanaye looked unbelievingly at the other boy as he continued to rub the other boy's erection through his pants with his one hand.

"I don't think coming back, carried by my father, counts as coming back unharmed."

Kanaye's obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously as the other began to pant, cupping the bulge he was holding carefully.

"Your first A rank mission, and you couldn't even stand on your own as you were carried through the front door."

Minamaru gritted his teeth, and looked up at Kanaye with anger in his own grape colored eyes.

"I can walk now! Ah!… Oooohh…"

He threw his head back, his hands grabbing onto Kanaye's shoulders and tightening as Kanaye began nibbling on his nipple again.

The younger boy's admission amused the red head, if the raised eyebrow, as well as the slight quirk of his lip, were any indication.

"Can you now?"

He sat up, his in-home kimono parted to the belt that held it modestly over his own growing problem. Looking down at his flushed lover, he smirked, then he rolled off of his lover, onto the his feet on the floor and turned back to his frustrated lover.

"Well then, stand up and walk to me."

He moved away from the bed till he sat at the chair close to their balcony window that was across from the bed. Once he sat down, he crossed his arm over his bared chest and stared inquiringly at the blinking boy still on the bed.

After a moment of catching up on what was happening, Minamaru glared at his boyfriend.

"Hey! That's not fair! You kn-know I can't walk like this!"

Kanaye smirked noticeably this time.

"You just said you could walk now. Whatever changed your mind?"

Minamaru hmphed, his eyes a purple orchid with his arousal. Just to prove the smug bastard wrong, he forced his quaking body off of the bed, where it fell not to gracefully to the ground, but still managed to land on his feet (he was still a ninja after all…). Unsteadily, he walked to his lover, more fazed by his erection and his excited body then his earlier wound.

As he made his way to Kanaye, attempting to do so with no problem whatsoever, the redhead didn't even blink, nor did he look away from his younger boyfriend. When Minamaru was finally within reach, looking as if he were hyperventilating, Kanaye snagged him, pulling him onto his lap where he captured the other boy's lips.

Minamaru moaned, curling there like an overgrown cat. Distractedly, he grabbed Kanaye's belt, beginning to untie it-

"Roo-roo, can you watch Koi if she awakens before-…"

Kanaye cursed, his head falling back against the back of the chair. Minamaru stared disbelievingly to the side of the chair, looking at his 'mother' out of the corner of his eyes. Lee himself was red as a flag, eyes impossibly wide as he stared at the spectacle before him.

An awkward silence was held till Kanaye spoke to his horrified chichi.

"Chichi, could you please leave?"

Slowly, his chichi nodded, his mouth set down in shock, not blinking once as he stepped back out of the room. Very, very quietly, he closed the door behind him.

Kanaye and Minamaru remained in their position for another number of minutes, Kanaye looking at the ceiling, Minamaru to the ground.

Finally, Kanaye sighed, picked Minamaru up, then walked to the bed where he dumped his lover. Minamaru bounced till he was comfortably sitting on his bum, looking up at his frustrated lover with humor and horror still.

Silence reigned once again…

Then Minamaru grabbed Kanaye by his belt, pulling the other onto the bed to where the redhead was lying down, rubbing at his eyes still. Minamaru cuddled his head against Kanaye's chest as he had made a habit of doing, not quite sure that making another attempt to make out in the same night would be so smart…

They had tried that before. Usually, the same thing happens that had happened the first time. So he made no inclination of it, allowing himself to loll away into slumber as Kanaye eventually began to stroke his hair.

Silence… Then,

"Does he know what the mission was?"

"Hm?… I don't think so… Raccoon-daddy's certain that mommy would never read his mission files, so he never bothered to tell him… I think he has a way to get out of answering it if mommy asks…"

Kanaye nodded three times, his eyes remaining closed as he stopped rubbing them. He took a deep breath, then wrinkled his nose.

"You smell of sweat and blood."

Minamaru snickered, his eyes half open as he came closer to the edge of awareness.

"You weren't complaining about it a moment ago, Kan-love…"

"Of course not…"

Kanaye drifted his lips through Minamaru's multi colored hair.

"It turns me on…"

Minamaru snorted. Against his hair, Kanaye's mouth twitched up in a smirk.

The position was held like that for another thirty or so minutes. Kanaye continued to stroke Minamaru's hair until his hand went limp in sleep. Minamaru kept smiling even after he had lost all awareness.

* * *

Lee refused to tell Gaara why his face was so red when he met with him again.

* * *

Ha! You thought I was going to do smut, didn't you? I thought about it… then the fact that Minamaru was 13 bothered me too much to actually do it. Beside that, ridiculously spaced out name fairytales has a specific way she wants their first time to go about like.

If anyone would like to know, and have not checked the reviews for this story, Minamaru is three years younger than Kanaye. He was born on August 13.

No, I'm not skipping Christmas… I'm only skipping it for this year in the story. I have too many ideas in my head to hold off till it's closer to Christmas. I don't want to put the Christmas chapter in so early, either. Trust the author, it's for the best.


	37. Talking to Koi

"Hello, Koi-love… You are so beautiful, indeed, you are!"

Lee smiled softly down upon his seven week old baby girl. Looking back up at him, she smiled back, her toothless grin charming beyond words to the 'mother'.

Lee squealed in joy, his eyes alight with the emotion as he continued to tease his daughter by playfully tugging her green spandex blanket from her hands. She was too young to understand the game, but her grip remained tight on the suit turned blanket, her grin growing because of the laughter she could blearily make out from her 'mommy's' face.

Leaning down, Lee rubbed their noses adoringly against hers. His grin only grew as she gurgled happily, her tiny fists flailing, though she retained her hold on her baby blanket.

Her hands tangled in his shoulder length hair. With great delight, she tugged on it till she was able to stick it in her mouth, sucking on the strands of black. Lee laughed quietly, careful not to startle her, as he allowed her to do as she wished with his hair.

She was the reason he had been growing it out, anyway.

Sometime around three weeks, Lee had begun to realize that Koi's hands always reached for another person's hair. Every time Minamaru had ever held her, his hair reaching his elbows at the back, the front of it reaching his collarbone, Koi's hands had always became tangled in it. The same occurred with anyone else's hair. Lee had came to the conclusion that Koi had a fascination with hair, then had decided to indulge her.

Hence, allowing his hair to grow over it's signature bowl cut. It wasn't that much of a loss, he soon learned. Koi was not the only one that enjoyed the lengthened hair…

As Lee had learned with great pleasure one night when it had been just him and Gaara… But that was inappropriate for the beautiful moment that was occurring.

Lee chuckled as Koi lost interest in the strands she was sucking on as it was caught anew by a different strand.

"You are the most magnificent baby girl, do you realize that? Out of the seven children of the new generation, you and Aya-kun are the only two girls among the lot? It makes you perfectly unique! You shall have so many older brothers guarding you as you walk through life! Jun with Samaie shall teach you compassion as well as passion! Your older brothers, our red lotus with our firefly, shall teach you knowledge coupled with acceptance! Aya-kun, your darling older sister, shall teach you to fear nothing while you laugh at everything!"

He chuckled, winking down at his daughter who had moved onto a different section of hair.

"You must be careful of that, though, koi-love. To laugh at everything is to eventually hurt someone. As you walk through life to become a beautiful, young lady that shall captivate the hearts of millions of men, remember that you can always rely on your family for anything you are uncertain of!"

He chuckled again, touching his forehead to hers as his eyes closed in amusement, his exceptionally white teeth showing for a moment in a small smile.

"Or to take care of any unwanted attention you come across… I am sure that our red lotus, or Aya-kun, who love to assist you in that area! Our firefly would most certainly have fun with that one!"

His smile became somewhat sad as he looked towards the circular window opposite of where he sat in the rocking chair with Koi in his arms.

"I have this very strange feeling… that they are not telling me something…"

He tilted his head questioningly as he looked back to his daughter, who stared unknowingly back up at him.

"It is a strange thing to feel, is it not? I know that none of them would ever deceive me… but I am not so certain when it comes to matters that might mean me harm… I am sure that even our firefly is in on this."

Supporting his daughter, he lifted her so he could lean her over his shoulder where she seemed to like being best. It was better access to more hair, he figured. A tickling sensation tingled down his neck as she grabbed and released random strands. He giggled as she grabbed the short hairs on the back of his head, actually tickling him.

He had few soft spots left anymore, most of them worn out by training or scars, but the spots he had left…

They were almost too sensitive.

She smiled where she was, one tiny hand the span of half of Lee's palm, spread apart over his heart, then she buried her face into his hair.

Lee chuckled once again, holding her close to him.

"I am sure that I am just being paranoid… But I doubt it as well… Your father and our red lotus went on a mission today. It is strangely reminiscent of the one your father went on with our firefly last week… All your devious father ever says is that 'we are searching for the enemy.'."

Koi squealed in joy as Lee mimicked Gaara's excuse almost perfectly. Lee laughed again at the sound, squeezing her gently.

"You are just too precious! Every sound you make is so darling, I feel as if I should show you to the world so that you may spread your youthful innocence!"

Koi, at that point, could not bring herself to care. Not because the hair before her was more interesting than her 'mother', but because she was fast asleep, having done so between one breath and the other.

As Lee realized what had happened, he squealed again, this time more to himself than loudly so as not to disturb her.

Everything she did _was _truly darling.


	38. Koi Officially Meets the Family

I was attacked by an idea while I was walking tonight. Koi is about to meet some important members of her family! We are going to observe how that goes…

* * *

Koi studied the distant, fuzzy shapes that floated out of reach. No matter how far she stretched her arms, she could not reach the two pointy things. She _really_ wanted them!

… They might even be hair… like that other person's had been. Hair tasted good…

Kankuro smirked smugly as he watched his niece reach out for him to pick her up, feeling on top of the world as she reached out with all of her little strength.

Yep, kids dig him.

"Hey there, brat. I'm your ojisan (uncle), Kankuro."

He laughed as she continued to reach upward. Deciding to give mercy to his mei (niece), he picked her gently up from the crib, into his arms.

His smile disappeared as the child finally got hold of her target, tugging his hood from his head, then continued to suck contently on the ears of it. He grimaced.

"You're just another Aya, aren't you? The whole time she was a little kid, she was after that."

He sighed, shaking his head. Ultimately, he decided to let her keep the hat till she got bored with it. He had tried on one too many occasions to take it from Aya to not know how it would go if he took it from the small girl.

Instead, he kept talking as if his head of spiky brown hair wasn't revealed in broad daylight.

"I made you something. You want to see it?"

He took her happy gurgle as a yes. Grinning widely, he reached into the pouch he had brought into the room with him, carefully lying the child back onto her bed as he opened it. After the initial whimper, Koi calmed down, deciding to remain content with her new toy.

That fuzzy thing only _thought _it was getting the pointy thing back.

Kankuro returned to leaning over the crib, his grin huge as he put a wooden puppet before his mei's eyes.

The design was simple, yet unique, never to be found in any store. It had dark, beady eyes, sharp, grinning teeth, coupled with small, dull claws at the end of each finger so as not to hurt the child. It looks like a bear, except it had a large, raccoon like tail, as well as strange markings up and down it's body painted purple against the sand wood color of the figurine.

Kankuro snickered as Koi's eyes fixed onto it.

"Your daddy acts like it's nothing that my bratty brother was a demon once, so I thought it might be a good idea to pull one over on him."

He waited, thinking that she would burst into tears or whimper. He knew, in the back of his mind, that it was kind of cruel to tease a baby like this. He countered that guilt with the fact that she wouldn't even remember this years down the road, but Lee and Gaara would.

All evil thoughts of what Lee's and Gaara's reaction would have looked like died as the child gurgled in delight, reached out, and ripped the figurine from his hands.

An eight week old baby liked Shukaku… Where no man, or woman, with a brain would have even touched the redhead holding the demon back in the day.

Kankuro scowled, leaning out of the crib and rubbing the back of his head in startled surprise.

"Guess you really are like your old man… The green one, I mean…"

His eyes shifted from left to right to make sure no one had seen him there, then reached into the crib to grab the abandoned hat. He considered grabbing the figurine as well, but…

She was using it as a teddy bear as she fell asleep again, lying on her green spandex.

He debated it for a moment. It came down to whether he wanted to be confronted by Gaara and Lee, or if he wanted the girl to scream bloody murder…

Thinking….

Thinking…

Decided.

Kankuro rubbed sorely at his ears as he left the house, the shukaku figurine securely hidden in it's pouch as he returned to his workshop to destroy the evidence.

Happily content, Koi sucked on the pointy thing.

It was tasty.

* * *

Koi stared up, once again, at the unfamiliar blob in her presence.

This one was that strange color that she saw whenever she looked at that bright thing when she and her 'mommy' were outside. This one had way more pointy things on it's head than her new toy she took from that other blob. So, of course, she wanted it. It was bright, it was pointy, and it was most likely hair!

Temari smirked, one hand holding onto the crib's rail, the other on her hip as she posed proudly. Her mei continued to reach for her, her tiny little arms unable to reach her, but her eyes were wanting.

Her mei thought she was cool.

Taking pity on her, Temari picked up the nine week old girl into her arms, then supported her in a cradle like hold. She frowned as the child continued to reach furiously upwards. She thought back, then scowled down at the girl.

"You little brat. You're only after my hair, aren't you?"

She mock sighed in annoyance, but ended up laughing at the antics of her mei anyway.

"You know, I used to do this with your niisan (older brother). I'd sneak into his room when no one else was there, then I'd just chat with him."

She tapped the tip of her mei's nose, then reached up and removed one ponytail so that the thick, blonde hair was more easily within of the baby. She chuckled as her mei began to suckle blissfully from the strands.

"We talked about all sorts of things… Like, did you know that your dad still occasionally carries his teddy bear around with him when he really misses his boy toy? You need to see your old man one of these days when your 'mom's' not there with him. I thought he was bad when he was alone… Now he's worse when he has thousands of people loyal to him and so many people that love him."

She leaned forward more, the child determined to reach more hair.

"You're just like your 'mom', do you know that? I don't think kids your age should be so determined to get what they want… I think I saw a baby movie on it once… Forget it."

She bounced the baby, causing the tiny girl to gurgle in joy. Temari met the eyes of her mei,…

And confusion rained down about her.

Gently, she reached out to bring the baby's face back to hers, looking down more carefully into the baby's eyes. They were large, but shaped like her father's… and _had _been black.

Just around the edges, an almost nonexistent existence of blue had emerged. She blinked, then tilted herself into the brighter light of the open window. The girl's iris became green instead.

Temari blinked again, then a smirk descended upon her face again.

"You've been hiding your father's eyes, you sneak."

She cackled, tickling the baby's stomach so she squealed.

"Wonder how many other people know your dirty little secret."

She placed the baby back into the crib, one eyebrow shooting up as she spotted her brother's hood. She picked it up, gave her mei a speculating gaze, then placed the hood back into the girl's hands. Once Koi found the hood sufficiently sucked on to the point she was ready to fall asleep, Temari pulled the green spandex blanket up around her.

When Koi had been born, the spandex had more than large enough for her. Now that it had been cut down into a blanket, the girl was finally beginning to outgrow it. Temari was both glad and sad for it.

One, her mei did not have to be caught in public with green spandex like her 'mom' and his sensei were.

Two, her mei was going to need a different baby blanket for when she grew out of this one. Temari had seen that girl on a day when the blanket had abruptly disappeared. She had a set of lungs on her that could shock any one specialized in sound jutsues.

She grimaced, then an idea dawned on her. She disappeared in a gust of wind, which didn't seem to offend the baby at all, and reappeared hardly minutes later.

She leaned back over the crib, her find held smugly in her hands as she looked at mei.

Between her fingers, she held one of her redheaded brother's red overcoats. In a moment, it was demolished till it was, as Lee's jumpsuit had been turn into, a blanket by a sudden dispense of wind.

"I bet you love your otousan a lot, don't you? Well then, I'm sure your 'mom' won't mind if I give you this."

She cackled again, her eyes closing in amusement as she handed the new blanket to the baby girl.

"Not so sure about your otousan."

Once in her grasp, Koi suckled happily from the dark red material, then took a double take. She knew this scent… as well as this taste…

This was the taste of that red blob that always came to her once her happy green blob left. She always liked the red blob, he was quiet and let her suck on anything he was wearing…

Temari smiled smugly as her mei squealed in happiness. Taking the blanket momentarily fro her, she rearranged it so it fit over her entirely.

"I thought I did good… See ya later, Koi-mei."

Back in the pose she had first came transported into the room with, one hand on the rail of the crib, the other on her hip, she disappeared in another gust of sudden wind.

For two more hours, Koi went between slobbering the pointy thing, the stretchy green thing, and the soft red thing.

She was having a really good day.

* * *

She was having a really bad day.

This new blob had nothing to grab onto. Aside from that, it's voice was really loud and deep. It was disturbing. It had taken away her pointy thing and her soft red thing, and she was not liking that so much. It smelled too, and was hot to the touch. It hadn't even given her any time to look at it, either. As soon as it had entered her vision, it had lifted her out of her home, and into it's arms. She was scared…

"YOU ARE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL, BLOOMING ROSE!!! Most certainly, one day, you shall have the stud of the herd groveling at your feet! Yosh!"

Gai posed proudly, Koi held loosely in one arm as he put his fingers thoughtfully to his chin.

"Of course, you shall have to learn how to defend yourself! I would be more than pleased to teach two generations of Rock! Your father was the most focused, determined student a sensei could ever ask for!"

Tears fell freely down his cheeks as he said this. In his arms, Koi began to cry as well, but for a different reason.

"You remind me very little of your brother! Always, he was straight faced and blank like his stoic sire! Yet, he turned out to be the most magnificent specimen of a young man, did he not!? As a child, he would flock towards me! Never before had he sympathized with my pride in Lee as you do now, though! You are truly wonderful, my beautiful blooming rose!"

Koi reached out for something to grab. Her nails caught on a fabric exactly like her green thingy, but it didn't feel the same. It felt tight, and she couldn't pull it towards her… It was frustrating to her.

Then true terror occurred, as she felt the heat leave and open air touched her. She cried out, not liking the change, before she was pressed to a warm chest.

Covered in a nice, warm fabric that she could pull right into her mouth. As close as she was to it, she named it comfy brown thingy.

"Gai, what were you doing to my sister?"

Kanaye rose an enquiring brow at his 'grandfather', as his chichi had suggested he refer to his as. The man, a great and loyal ninja, had the redhead's total respect…

His energy and loudness merely made it difficult to watch his sister while his father and chichi were at a meeting while the man was in the house with Koi.

The man had an affinity with children. Children just did not return the feeling. Gai, sadly, had not caught onto that.

The man smiled brightly, making Kanaye blink at the display of embarrassingly white teeth, before he took up the 'good guy pose'.

"I was discussing with my youthful blooming rose the happenings of life! When I began speaking of my pride in her accomplished chichi, she had cried in pride along with me!"

Kanaye's thin red eyebrow shot up.

"Are you sure it was her sympathizing with you?"

"What else could it have been!?"

Kanaye shook his head regretfully, his obsidian eyes closing for a moment, before he looked back to the aged Jounin.

"I'm sure chichi and father will be returning in a matter of minutes. You should get ready to meet them."

Gai blinked, then smiled brightly once again.

"Thank you, red lotus, I shall begin exercising to warm up for the match Lee and I shall hold against his stoic husband!"

Again, one red eyebrow quirked up.

"Does father know about this match?"

Gai fell into laughter as if Kanaye had just said the funniest thing ever. Against the redhead's chest, Koi whimpered, sucking more urgently on the fabric before her.

"Of course not! That would take the excitement out of it!"

He waved farewell to them, stopping by their side to give them a conjoined group hug that made Koi squirm uncomfortably.

"I shall begin now! If I can not run seven hundred laps around the Kazekage residence going backwards before they arrive, I shall fight Lee's stoic husband with my thumbs tied together behind my back and my knees locked together!"

He disappeared in a shower of 'youth' after his flashy 'good guy pose'.

Kanaye stood there blankly for a moment, then looked down to his baby sister. He shook his head in regret.

"You sad creature. As I got older, people said that I had attached myself to him every chance I had gotten."

He shrugged carelessly, moving deeper into the nursery from where he had been standing next to the door.

"I think it was because he reminded me so much of chichi and had so many different stories to tell… I also wanted to know how someone so silly and outlandish was capable of bringing about so much fear as well as respect. In a sense, that reminded me of father."

Carefully, he set his baby sister back into her crib, pulling the discarded hood and red blanket back into her reach, then pulling the spandex out from under her to wrap around her again.

Once that was done, he leaned lazily against the rail, studying her from his high post. After a long moment of speculation, his eyes narrowed.

He leaned forward till his face was an inch or so away from his sister's, then blinked in surprise.

"Your eyes aren't black…"

A ring had begun to form around her eyes, turning the obsidian a green-blue color that Kanaye was very familiar with.

Kanaye frowned, his thin eyebrows drawing slightly together.

"Chichi's going to be ecstatic… Father, not so much."

Koi reached out, patting her hand to his face as she continued to suckle happily on the black hood. Kanaye's eyebrow shot up, then he leaned out of the crib and left the room.

Koi stared after the new red blob. It had tasted different than the red blob that her red thing tasted like. That meant…

That there was two red blobs…

And there were two green blobs…

There were two yellow blobs, if her memory went back far enough…

Koi began crying in distress, afraid and confused.

Everyone was multiplying.

* * *

Poor, poor Koi… No, that was not her having coherent thoughts, just what I summarized of what she was thinking with what little she already understands at her young age. No, she's not a freakin' super genius, she's just special, and I wanted to give you all the opinion she had of everyone who came into her room. I have one niece and one nephew, but I'm pretty sure my info of what babies do at what age isn't as accurate as I would like it to be. Some of the info, I asked another. Otherwise, I was winging it. Tell me how much you love Koi, please!


	39. Interrupted

"Nnh… Ah!"

Lee through his head back, narrowly missing his lover's head, as he rested it against the redhead's shoulder, whimpering in the back of his throat. Whether Gaara took pity on him, he didn't let on.

Lee's hands remained bound to the bedpost before him, his lower back arched into Gaara's timed thrusts. As the ebony eyed boy attempted to quicken the paste, shoving himself back onto his lover, Gaara growled. The redhead grabbed onto Lee's small braid, pulling on it in warning, before he placed his own face into Lee's shoulder, panting there as he kept rigid control over himself.

Supposedly, they had time to do as they wished today. Minamaru had Koi, who were out in the village exploring. Kanaye had, possibly, gone with them. If he hadn't… he was old enough by now to understand what was going on.

Which meant that Gaara could go as torturously slow as he wished, looking down upon occasion to see his own hard, wet member shove into, then out of, his husband's puckered hole. It made him shudder every time, watching his lover take all of him, then plea for more…

That was the other lovely thing about days like these, they could be as loud as they wanted.

"Gaa- Mnph! Gaa-… Oooh… M-more!"

The redhead bit into the flesh between his lover's shoulder and neck, panting more heavily now.

Lee couldn't even pronounce his name right anymore…

"Gaa- Ah!… L-let M-m-me… Nnh! Nah!"

Lee threw his head forward, hitting it against the bedpost he was bound to. He could release himself… but then Gaara would bind him to something else. Besides that… He didn't want to break another bed. It was awkward every time he had to meet the eyes of anyone he passed by as he threw away yet _another_ bed frame.

"What do you want?"

Gaara's voice rasped against Lee's shoulder, blue-green eyes heated to an almost madness he refused to acknowledge till he had Lee right where he wanted him. When all his lover could do was arch more fully into his timed thrusts, he bit again at his flesh, deep enough that his teeth broke the skin.

Lee threw his head back again, this time catching Gaara's chin, and cried out in surprise, pleasure, and pain. Instead of cursing at the sudden offense, Gaara lost control for one, precious second, making him shove against Lee's ass twice, before he could reign himself in again.

It was enough to make Lee scream again, his body shuddering as his captured hands clenched around the wood of the bed post. His eyes were desperate and unseeing as he stared at the floor. His eyes watered over, partly from forgetting to blink, otherwise from the pain he was experiencing from not coming.

When Gaara suddenly paused, Lee whined loudly, turning his head to look at the redhead over his bleeding shoulder.

Instead of answering, the sand abruptly fell away from Lee's hand, then they rolled till until they laid front to back, the blanket over them from Gaara's insistent tugging.

From there, Gaara grabbed Lee's arousal and pulled on it three times, not moving himself at all as Lee came with a long, keening whimper.

Right on time, the door was pushed open.

Standing in the doorway, Minamaru held Koi, Kanaye beside them. He blinked as he looked from his raccoon-daddy's furious gaze, to his panting, sweating mommy. His mouth shut as he realized what he had just walked in on.

"KOI, TURN YOUR EYES AWAAAAY!!"

He ran squealing from the room, his hand before Koi's startled eyes. Kanaye continued to stand there for a moment, leaning against the door frame as he met his father's glare fearlessly.

"Now you know how I feel."

With that, he walked away.

Lee panted for a while longer, not altogether aware of what had just happened, but his cheeks stained red by the idea he had. He attempted to stand up, hoping to ask Minamaru what he had came to ask without blushing red when seeing him. His plan was abruptly halted as he was pulled right back onto the bed.

His lover growled in his ear, forcing Lee on his belly as he spread his legs apart. Lee shivered as Gaara thrust anew into him, tired curls of pleasure shocking him.

"_I'm _not done here."

Lee whimpered, his hands fisting in the fabric of the blankets, as he watched the sand crawl towards him again.

Gaara never had taken well to being interrupted.

* * *

How many of you realized that it's been a really long time since I've actually written a smut? It's been so long, I felt uncomfortable using any crude language, but I did it!


	40. You Can't Handle the Truth!

"_Minamaru… There's something I need to tell you."_

_12 years old, the black haired boy had turned to the older boy, curiously cocking his head to the side._

"_Yes, Hito?"_

_The Hyuuga took a deep breath, holding Minamaru's gaze the whole time. In the lilac gaze, determination showed through._

"_I love you."_

_He had laughed, grabbing at his midsection as he nearly bent himself in half. _

"_That's funny, Hito."_

_He had waved to the older boy, turned red with embarrassment, as he moved to walk away, honestly thinking that that had been a joke. He was stopped by the hand that grabbed onto his extended wrist and squeezed tightly. Startled, his gaze had flown to meet the fury in the proud boy's eyes, Hito's jaw clenched as well as his other hand. _

"_I'm not joking."_

_He had been fazed by the confession, then had smiled good naturedly, twisting his wrist out of the bruising grip._

"_I'm sorry, Hito, but I don't feel like that for you."_

_The older boy appeared shocked, as if he had never before thought he would be put down. Hito snarled at him, furious. _

"_Why?"_

_His smile began to disappear, slowly becoming replaced by apprehension._

"_Because, Hito… I hardly even know you!"_

"_You could get to know me!"_

"_I live all the way in Suna! I'm only here because raccoon daddy's having a meeting with the hokage."_

"_Then, transfer back here! Demand that they reinstate you as a Fire country ninja!"_

_He had been shocked, his mouth gaping open as he had backed away from the Hyuuga._

"_But… I'm happy in Suna! If I came back here, I couldn't live with mommy, or raccoon daddy, or Kanaye! Why would I leave them behind?"_

"_You have friends here, don't you? That mutt loving girl and the pudgy boy off of my team."_

_Now, his silence was static with anger, not shock._

"_How __**dare**__ you! You have no right to call my friends that!"_

"_What rights do you have to deny your homage and run off with a demon loving family? Don't you know that your 'great and powerful father' was once a demon? His lover is nothing but a whore for crawling into his bed and producing his offspring like some bitch after heat!"_

_*Thwak!*_

_Hito hit the ground, rubbing at his chin as he stared in surprise up at him. _

_From the pouch tied around his waist, a tinkling sound began, almost a lullaby, until it revealed itself from the leather. Small, glittering shards of glass rose into the air, a faint haze of chakra surrounding Minamaru's fingers as he commanded it so. _

"_Take it back."_

_His voice had been hoarse and low, thick with anger and hurt. His dark amethyst eyes had glared down at the fallen boy, his body trembling with the overpowering emotions. _

_On the ground, Hito only turned his head to spit out the blood that had came with biting the inside of his cheek, his eyes focused on Minamaru the whole time. _

"_You do love them, don't you? You love a man that had murdered dozens by the time he was your age, and the man who willingly crawled into his bed after almost being crippled by him."_

_Hito had sat up, leaning on his elbows as he eyed him. _

"_You even love their bastard child, don't you? He'll be just like your father when he was a child, you do know that, right? Everything that went wrong with his father, it's going wrong with him."_

"_You're wrong! Kanaye's loved and was never hurt like raccoon daddy was!"_

"_He doesn't have to be hurt. The demon was going mad before anyone could lay a hand on him… Not that they could, he killed them before they could do so. His bastard child isn't going to be any different. He might be containing himself now, but one day, he's going to snap, just like his demon sire. When he does that, you can be assured I'll be one of the ones hunting him down like the animal he is."_

_The glass shards had lost their song, falling to the ground around him. At first, he said, and did, nothing, staring at the ground blankly. After two minutes of tense silence, Hito began to stand calmly again, dusting himself off as he went along. On one knee, he paused when Minamaru made a sound. Unable to catch it, he listened for it to happen again. After the third one, he leaped, placing 10 feet of distance between them._

_Humorlessly laughing, Minamaru had looked up to meet the tense Hyuuga, his eyes blank and cold to go along with the haunting laugh._

"_You won't hurt him."_

_He had begun in a sing-song voice._

"_Because I'll kill you before you touch him. I won't lost anyone I love, I swear it."_

_His fake amusement faded away quickly as he became more adamant in his oath, becoming louder._

"_I love him! And, even if I have to die for him, he's going to live! He's going to become the next Kazekage, and he's going to be happy! He's not going to break, because we're here to put him back together! To get to him, you have to go through me, and a whole lot of other people!"_

_With a batting motion of his arm, the glass rose around him, pointing threateningly at the speechless Hyuuga._

"_So don't threaten him, or my family, again!"_

_Hito fell silent for so long, Minamaru wasn't able to stand there, not like that. He lowered his arm, and the glass shards raced back into the leather pouch about his waist. With one more glare towards Hito, he turned his back on him, furious and upset. _

"_You… 'love'… him…"_

_Minamaru had ignored the voice, continuing forward as if it had been nothing but the wind._

"_You… 'love'… __**him**__…"_

_Again, Minamaru was only leaving behind the proud male, his hands clenched at his side in a sour attempt to relieve the sudden stress._

"_But you don't love me!"_

_He had turned around a split second to slow, his hands up to defend himself from the sudden burst of hostility that had been racing towards him…_

_And had then reached him._

_Points of pain had opened up all over his body, his eyes wide with shock as he looked into the scorned eyes of the Hyuuga. _

_Note to self: Let a Hyuuga down __**gently**__._

_Minamaru had landed on the ground, his arms and legs numb in an instant. _

_In the next moment, the enraged Hyuuga disappeared…_

_Under a cloud of sand._

"_You stupid son of a bitch. You think you can attack what's mine?"_

_His heartbeat seemed to skip a beat with the last part, rotating his head to look back at the redhead standing slightly behind him. _

_Fighting his way, somehow, from beneath the sand enough that he could speak through the punishing weight of the desert soil, he was able to hear Hito's voice while still looking into the obsidian eyes of his best friend._

"_Yours? All of a sudden, he's yours?"_

_Kanaye didn't even break gazes with him, answering Hito's strained voice with a monotone one._

"_I've known he was mine since I first brought him into my family. Because it hadn't occurred to him, I had let it rest till he did realize it."_

_Kanaye had moved to his side, gently placing his arms beneath him to lift Minamaru up off the ground and against his chest. There, he had happily snuggled against the redhead, his limp arms and legs hanging over the hold. _

_He had been ecstatic._

"And that was how your brother and I got together!"

Koi startled awake at the sudden exclamation, having nodded off somewhere towards the beginning. The five month old looked back up at the multi-colored haired boy, the very thin circle of blue-green around obsidian orbs almost unnoticeable in the dim light of the unlit room.

After three hours of crying for her 'mom' and dad, as well as singing the lullaby he had made especially for her five separate times, Minamaru had gone to plan B: story telling. Telling Koi about a black elephant who went around with a red tiger, a brown dog, a purple horse, and a yellow horse that went out with the purple horse, had not entertained her enough to distract her.

He had ended up on the rocking chair, talking about anything that came to mind such as he had seen his mommy do with her, his hair flipped over one shoulder for better access. Clearly, it had worked.

Koi stared up at him for a moment longer, then opened her mouth in a yawn, rubbing at her eyes sleepily.

Minamaru smiled proudly.

"Yep, your brother thinks he's really smart, but I was just waiting for him to say it first!"

Koi nodded off again, not paying attention as Minamaru began telling the baby girl about the first time he had gone on a mission with his raccoon daddy and how the kage had helped him kick some serious butt.

From the other side of the nursery door, Lee was almost crying with the joy he felt. His hand were trembling, clenched against his mouth so he wouldn't make any sudden loud noises, his knees pressed together to contain himself from jumping or expressing himself through any other type of loud expressions.

Always, he had wondered how his two dearest sons had ended up together. Thanks to his beautiful little rose, he had his answer.


	41. Driving Me Sick

"Ooooh…"

Samaie grimaced, not liking the pain behind the groan. He sat up behind his younger lover, and began rubbing the other's shoulders gently. Beneath his hands, Jun shuddered, leaning back against him.

"That feels so goooood…"

The purple haired boy leaned down, brushing his lips over the shadow user's forehead.

"Where did you guys have to go this time?"

Over the duration of the past five months or so, Jun, Aya, and their new team captain, Hitori had been coming and going on seemingly spontaneous missions. Every one of them was classified, meaning that Samaie couldn't hear a word of it. He knew one thing, though.

The missions were running his love into the ground, and it was pissing him off.

The honey haired boy had begun ignoring most snack foods, nearly giving his 'mom' and him a heart attack, Jun's father having had dropped his cigarette when the first thing Jun had reached for once coming home had been the carrots in the refrigerator. The sweet and sour chips had been left untouched on the counter. When Samaie had demanded an answer later, Jun had simply said 'I can't be weighed down when I go on these missions.'.

That wasn't it, either. Jun, despite receiving more sun than just about anyone else in Konoha with his frequent runs to who knows where, was pale beneath his tan, dark bags under his almond eyes.

Samaie had to grit his teeth to not say anything. He wanted to demand that Jun stop with the missions. Whatever it was that was making them do them, it couldn't be that important that he should kill himself over them.

Even Aya was being overrun by the combined missions. He couldn't remember the last time the girl had enough time to just stop by and say 'hi', instead of saying 'we got to go.'. Aya's visits were now the second most dreaded, but more welcomed because he knew she didn't want to be the one to say it. The first most dreaded was the magenta eyed captain of theirs. When he came over, he had something to say, as well as telling Jun it was time to move out. It was like the bastard had never before heard the word 'rest'.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Aya was balanced on the field post right next to the unmoving bluenette. She was exhausted, rundown, and bitchy. Unfortunately, Lady Tsunade had sent her out to find her team captain for conference.

Not only did the bastard like to run them down, he was also too good at reflecting every insult Aya threw at him. It pissed her off that nothing she said bothered the Suna shinobi.

Magenta eyes pinned her down as he looked away from the playground full of small children running there and elsewhere throughout the grass and sand.

"I'm studying."

Aya blinked, then looked back to the kids. She wrinkled her nose, smelling dirty diapers, sweat, mud, blood, as well as more stenches circulating from the playground. To them, it most likely smelled like a spring day. To her, with a high fever running as well as the jitteriness running throughout her frame, it smelled filthy.

She needed to go see her aunt, Hane, to check her out.

"Studying what?"

He looked back to the playground.

"The momentary release of joy and excitement due to physical activity or something else of interest."

The first word that came to Aya's mind was 'happiness', then she put some thought behind it, one eye squinting somewhat, as if she was trying to see something far away. Through her heated mind, another word slowly formed.

"Fun?"

Next to her, he gave a subtle nod, watching a child squeal as he went down the slide.

* * *

"Jun, sleep."

He tried to gently keep the other boy to the mattress, pushing him slightly with his hand on his shoulder. Stubbornly, the supple boy attempted to wave him away, trying to sit back up. Though he failed, he continued to try anyway.

"Noo, Hitori told us there was going to be a mission today."

"Jun, you can't even keep your eyes open. You can't even defend yourself against me, how do you expect to complete a mission?"

"I have to…"

Samaie leaned down, putting his lips to Jun's to stop the words. He nipped angrily at the honey haired boy's bottom lip, making the offended open his mouth slightly in a tired gasp. With the opening, he slid his tongue through the narrow gap, curving it around Jun's lax one. With some prodding, Jun's tongue rose shyly to the occasion, slipping against his with a red hue spreading across his cheeks. Samaie knew that because he had his eyes open, just as Jun had his closed. His amber eyes wondered over his love's face, anger draining out of them to be replaced by gentleness.

Carefully, he wrapped both arms around his slighter lover, pulling Jun fittingly against his chest. After another moment, he broke the kiss, watching how Jun's eyes didn't reopen. He tucked Jun's face into the junction of his neck and shoulder, rubbing his chin against his honey hair as he assisted Jun into sleep by rubbing his back soothingly.

This had to end… _soon_…

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Aya continued to drag the Suna shinobi to the very playground he had been staring down. The closer she got, the faster her head spun. Forcibly, she ignored it.

This was just to good a chance to pass up.

Once in the sandy part where the younger children played, she moved to the swings, still holding him. It was just her luck that, of the two sets there, which equals 12 swings, two were left.

She shoved him down into one, feeling smug of her accomplishment, then sat down beside him in the last available one left. Hitori stared blankly at the ground, then slowly turned to look at her.

"Why did you drag me here?"

She smirked, already swinging herself as high as she could.

"Because the swings are the best part of the playground! Then it's the slide, then the monkey bars."

The other's eyebrows jacked up as he sat there calmly, motionlessly. It made Aya scowl, stopping the swing to glare at him.

"You're supposed to swing."

He blinked, then turned his eyes to study the child next to them was watching them with curiosity as a woman pushed him till he got to a certain height. Then he turned back to Aya, then sighed in irritation.

"This is child's play."

Aya smirked again.

"Yep. Ain't it fun?"

"No."

Aya blinked again, then her mouth dropped open, offended.

"Why not?"

"I'm not a child."

"Well then, be a child. You were just studying kids to find out was _fun_ is! I think you need to be a child."

He stood up, walking calmly out of the park. Aya growled, moving up to follow after him. She ended up following him to the training fields, where he took off his shirt and began training, of course.

As always, her eyes were caught by the surprising amount of scars on his body. It wasn't deforming… As a matter of fact, it was kind of hot. But he was only _17_. She wasn't even sure if green daddy had had that many scars at that age.

"You can stop staring now and leave until the mission at dusk. Your… 'teachings'… are unneeded here."

She growled, offended by the demeaning tone.

"Hey, I'm just trying to get you to have fun, you jackass!"

Magenta eyes turned to her from where he had stopped beating the wooden post.

"If I'm such a jackass, why are you still here?"

"Because even a jackass needs to have a good laugh, you jackass."

He rolled his eyes, turning his back entirely on her. She stood there for a while longer, arms crossed agitatedly over her chest, her head beginning to pound with each hit the post received, the sound increasingly loud in her mind. She tried to shake the discomfort away, but only managed to make it worse.

"Where did those scars come from?"

Hitori momentarily paused, his one fist a solid inch from the post, before he followed through with the hit, acting as if Aya had not spoken for a few seconds more…

"Training."

Aya rubbed at her temples, her eyebrows going up at the confession.

"What kind of training? The one that sends you through 'The Blades of Doom'? Where do you even find those?"

"In the Suna Special Forces. It's much like your Special Ops…"

Aya blinked, a person coming to mind with the organization.

"I know someone from the Special Ops, and he's damn awesome! He's a bit rough around the edges with expressions and what to say, but…"

A sudden violent throb in her head cut off her words, but Hitori took it for the last of her speech.

"I'm not him."

As Aya released her head, wrapping both arms about her waist, Hitori faced her, a cold smile on his face.

"Are you trying to soften me up so I'll go easier on you and Jun?"

The cold smile disappeared to be replaced by a scowl. He eyed Aya's pale frame, red face, and slightly trembling body.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry you were raised to be a weapon."

She had her teeth grit against the staking migraine, every scent within a three mile radius suddenly all there, invading her senses to the point vomit began to rise in her throat. She forced herself to swallow it down, refusing to show that human weakness in front of the ice man.

"But that's just it. Jun and I _weren't _raised like that. If your special force is anything like ours, then I know that you were selected from an orphanage and then dumped into some hell hole. But we weren't. We had loving parents, good homes, and lax schedules. We can't cope what you can. Hell, I left Oki with my aunt today because _she_ couldn't take anymore. The only reason I went looking for you is because Lady Tsunade sent a messenger that told me to send you to her."

Black spots began to dance before her eyes. She tried to blink them away unsuccessfully.

"As spoiled as it sounds, we have special needs. We come from two different families that have peculiar blood limits. Jun, even if he can't use the Akamichi blood line, or has the fat for it, still needs to eat excessively. You thought by telling him to stop eating as much that you were making him lose drag. You only created more for him, because now he's unbalanced and under the weight that's appropriate for him."

She growled, gripping at her head as it began throbbing painfully again. Her opaque eyes glared into calmly calculating magenta ones.

"You were so busy trying to succeed the mission, you never bothered to ask us what we could or couldn't do! Somehow, you got the mistaken belief that we could do whatever you could."

She wasn't able to stop the whimper that escaped her when a particularly strong scent of sour salt assaulted her nose, her eyes tightly sealed shut.

A hand touched gently against her forehead, bringing a cool numbing sensation with it. Against her own will, she leaned into the touch, the scent ferociously beating at her, but the migraine began to dissipate.

"And what's your limit?"

Her eyes, heavy and hot with fever, opened slowly to meet the smooth bright purple ones again, then fell shut again, falling somewhat against the bluenette. He caught her easily, ignored her grimace as she came face to face with the sour salt smell.

"Jackasses who demand too much but give little. Honestly, would it be that _hard_ to just say 'let's do this, team.', or 'Good job.'?"

"Yes."

His tone was so obviously mocking, Aya growled again, her mind somewhere between oblivion and fuzziness.

"Fuck you."

Her eyes shot open, surprise and shock the most obvious there, as she thrust her fist right into the captain's gut… Or would have, had his hand not caught hers. He pulled his mouth away from her lips, one eyebrow quirked as he studied Aya's 'WTF?' expression.

"Are you sure?"

"It was just an expression! Jeez, you need help…"

The migraine began anew, aided by the close proximity to the stench of Hitori's workout session.

She had hated sweat before, now she just wished everyone would dehydrate so they wouldn't sweat.

"Don't say things you don't mean."

With that, he released her, grabbing his shirt off of the ground and over his bare torso, his back to the fazed girl the whole time. Just as Aya had a feisty comeback, he turned back around, a commanding expression on his face.

"Tell Jun we'll be having a day off and to begin his original diet again. After that, go home to rest off your sickness."

He began a transportation jutsu, sighing in annoyance.

"I don't need my team to drop dead on me in the middle of battle."

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a fevered dog nin, who scowled at the spot he had just been in.

A moment or so after he left, she smirked, rubbing her one temple as she planted her other hand on her hip.

"You're a real jackass, ice man… But I guess you can learn new tricks."

She snorted, turning her back on the training fields as she began to dash back to Jun's.

"I can't wait till we get to teach you to 'sit'."

* * *

Jun was now as asleep as one could be without being dead. His hands were loosely knotted into the thin blanket about him, his face had somehow traveled until he was blowing hot air against Samaie's chest, his ear resting peacefully over his heart.

Samaie stroked his hand through Jun's loose locks, the ponytail around the amber eyed boy's wrist, as his eyes fell to half mast.

It was peaceful…

Too peaceful, if Aya's approaching chakra could be taken right.

The dog nin appeared at the slightly open window, her eyes landing on the sleeping figure beside him, before connecting eyes with him. There was a tense silence for a moment, then she smirked, rubbing slowly at her head.

"Tell Jun to eat right again. We're having an off day."

With that, she leaped away, leaving the window empty.

Samaie's entire frame went limp, brushing his lips over Jun's forehead with relief.

Thank Kami the icy captain had learned that his teammates had limits. One more day, and both Jun and Aya wouldn't have made it back home.

* * *

I felt as if I was ignoring Hitori and Samaie, so I made a chapter that included them! I think it went nicely… Oh, and by the way. I learned that Lee actually does wear a pink shirt when exercising. Keep your eyes open for it.


	42. Geniuses Need Love

"Hi, Ruka!"

Minamaru practically flew to through the opened door at the older man. He stopped before collision, Koi held in his arms as he happily cooed to the white haired child in the Sensei's arms.

"Hiya, Koko!"

Makato, assured genius since turning a year old some days ago, eyed Minamaru's close proximity to him, then reached out, grabbed the young teen's face, and pulled him into a kiss. Upon release, Minamaru was grinning widely.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to get you back!"

True to his word, Minamaru showered the wildly clapping boy's face with kisses, moving Koi to one arm so he could lift the baby's shit to give him a raspberry. Makato squealed happily, before he retreated deeper into his 'mother's' chest, who was chuckling good naturedly at the display.

Because of a sudden trip his 'mommy' had wanted to take to Konoha, wishing to meet with his Sensei for some strange reason Minamaru could not remember, they were now relocated in the leaf village for a few days at most. Originally, Koi was not to be taken, nor was Minamaru. Boredom and missing his other friends had prompted the multi color haired boy to do so. His raccoon daddy and Kanaye being on a mission somewhere else had prompted Koi's first visit to Konoha since being born. Neither Lee, nor Minamaru, was certain a small child could be trusted with Kankuro or Temari.

Upon another strike of boredom, Aya, Jun, and Samaie off on a mission that they wouldn't return from till tomorrow, Minamaru had taken himself and the baby to where another man baby could be found.

The Hatake home.

Makato, calmed down by this point, looked up at his 'mommy', then curiously to the child in Minamaru's arms while the two older males discussed something or another.

Of course Makato had seen other baby girls before… but they had screamed every time he had went near them, or had begun agitatedly pulling on his sensitive hair. This girl stared curiously back at him, large eyes glittering in the hallway light, mouth puckering as if she was sucking on something. Studying the seven month old child, Makato had a sudden thought run through his head.

The only girl he had ever kissed was Aya. He refused to count Lady Tsunade, or any other random woman he had attacked in playgrounds and streets, because he just refused. But, most certainly, he had never kissed a baby girl before…

It was time to broaden his horizons.

Iruka continued to chat away with Minamaru, adjusting his arms as he felt his son squirm increasingly. After a moment, he looked down, frustrated with his son's constant movement. His eyes widened dramatically when he saw what his son was doing.

"Makato, no!"

He pulled away suddenly, forcing Makato to release the small girl's face and break lips. It was one thing when his son attacked someone who understood. It was another thing when he smooches another baby.

There was a tense silence between the two baby holding males, and then Koi began squealing in joy, reaching out to Makato to grab his storm cloud gray shirt so she could pull it into her mouth. She sucked happily on the material, the thin iris of blue-green lighting up around her obsidian orbs.

Iruka and Minamaru were witness to the love that filled the young boy's eyes as he, in return, grabbed Koi, forcing Iruka and Minamaru onto the ground so they wouldn't fall, where they were placed safely, and pulled her into an embrace of pure ecstasy, happily smooching anywhere he could reach on her face.

Minamaru's face was filled with dread as he watched his baby sister squeal in joy at the attention, rubbing his arms as a vision went through his head.

He could see his own bloody murder… done by Kanaye's hands for letting their sissy be molested by Makato. Lee would be horrified, knowing his daughter had had his first kiss taken from her at such a young age… Raccoon daddy? He didn't want to think about it…

He met eyes with the pale faced Sensei, his lip turned up in a grimace as the older man continued to appear horrified.

On the ground, Makato had his arms wrapped around the happily indulging Koi, his eyes closed as he went along with the beautiful moment.

"We don't have to tell the family… right?"

Iruka shook his head, finally trying to reach out to separate his son from Koi as horror gave way to exasperation.

Makato dragged Koi with him as his 'mom' tried to pick him up, making Iruka forfeit the effort. Minamaru tried to separate them by making Koi release Makato and then quickly whisk her away from him. That began a crying Koi, as well as Makato's first word… among 4 other words.

"Give me my baby back!"

Spoken like a three year old instead of his one year, Minamaru's gaze flew to Iruka's, then down to the boy who had his arms reaching upward, standing solidly on two feet.

There was a thick silence…

Another long moment…

Then Iruka made a sound of exclamation while pointing angrily at his son.

"You learned to talk? And you never told me?! You _are_ just like your father!"

Minamaru, who had not known anything about Makato's mad intelligence, gaped at the small boy who was looking demandingly up at him. In his arms, Koi continued to squirm, determined to get back to her new toy.

Minamaru got it back together, looking down at the white haired child with a stubborn face of his own.

"No. She's _my_ baby."

This did not help his case at _all_, as he very soon learned.

Makato stomped his foot, tiny hands clenched at his side as he shared glares with man baby lover.

"_My_ girl!"

"Nope, _my_ girl."

Which cued the hundred or so Makatos that had just poofed into life to tackle the multi colored haired boy to the ground. Iruka began popping them instantly; cursing the day his husband had showed Makato the jutsu.

As they remained busy trying to find the real Makato, as well as Koi, who had disappeared at some point in the crossfire, the baby genius rested contently in his small bed, happily allowing the seven month old Sabaku child to continue to suckle on his shirt. Every once in a while, he would lazily smooch her, create more clones, and then relax again.

It would be an hour before Kakashi came home and ended the chaos. He calmly walked around the two frustrated males, the last clone popped, into the Hatake boy's room. As he opened the door, he saw his son peacefully sleeping with the Kazekage's daughter who was holding loosely onto his damp shirt in her doze.

He was very happy to admit, walking out of his room a moment later, to the two males, that the two made a very cute couple.

Now every time Minamaru goes on a walk with Koi in Konoha, he can expect one of two things first: Either he will hear that Makato has escaped his home prison again, or see his white-hair as he followed them.

From that moment on, Minamaru referred to him as 'Koi's stalker'. Lee, sadly, was never told why.


	43. Happy Birthday, Gaara

I realized something terrible! I skipped Gaara's birthday, though I had the perfect chance for it. Now, I have to skip another year to go along with the idea. I wish someone had told me that Gaara's birthday was January 19. I thought of something wonderful. Reviews equal love, my dear sweethearts!

* * *

"Why can't we throw a party for raccoon daddy again?"

Minamaru had his head resting on his redhead's chest, a two year old Koi sleeping against his belly. Kanaye continued to read the scroll before his eyes, his obsidian eyes only flickering briefly to the annoyed boy.

"Because he won't accept it."

"Well, that's the point behind surprise parties!"

"You think throwing a surprise at father is a good idea?"

Kanaye arched a thin eyebrow at the thought, turning his eyes to his young boyfriend again. Minamaru, his hair still multi colored, as well as a new streak of yellow to run with the purple, red, orange, and blue, blinked. He squinted, looking up at the ceiling as if it was playing out the scenario for him. After a moment, he frowned.

"Poor, poor Naruto…"

The redhead didn't bother asking, only returning to his scroll.

"I can't remember a time in my entire life someone said 'happy birthday' to him, much less threw him a party. They don't do it because they don't like him, Arune, they do it because they respect him. Could you honestly see father as the type to become excited about his own birthday?"

Again, the younger boy thought about it, gently stroking Koi's shoulder length raven locks as he did so. He pouted as he came to a mental agreement with Kanaye. Gaara excited because it was his birthday… did sound kind of freaky.

"So… What do people do for his birthday?"

Kanaye halted in his reading, his eyes slowly turning to his boyfriend's. The scroll slid shut as he carefully rolled it up.

"You have been living here for five years, and still don't know how father goes about his day of birth?"

"Well, it's not like I stalk him! What does he do, just ignore it? I would have noticed if he did something different…"

Kanaye closed his eyes in irritation, forcing himself not to point out his boyfriend's contradicting statement.

"He's doing what he does on any normal day…"

* * *

Lee grinned slyly, doing as his lover commanded. There wasn't much else he could do, restrained as he was. Fortunately, he knew his way about this after 17 years of marriage.

He was kneeling at Gaara's feet, his waist length braid let free for once at Gaara's demand. It flowed like a raven wave about his sand bonded body, occasionally tugged on by the grains. Eyes the color of a lake in winter laughed up at the redhead as he continued to suckle and lick everywhere around the kage's protruding erection.

Gaara growled, weaving a hand through Lee's hair and pulling impatiently at it.

"Stop toying around."

Lee, who knew better than to open his moth, only smiled wider, the sparkling in his eyes increasing as he finally laid a kiss to the pale member before his face.

* * *

"He's turning 36, and all he ever does is paperwork? We really need to throw him a birthday party!"

"I could have sworn you were less naïve than that…"

Minamaru pouted up at Kanaye, not once pausing in brushing the sleeping child's hair.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What does father do aside from work?"

Minamaru put some thought into it, then his mouth formed a perfect 'o' as his eyes widened.

"Oooh… He's getting it on with green daddy… Oohh…"

He reached out and hit the redhead on the arm, making the other arch his eyebrow once again.

"What was that for?"

"For not getting freaky with me on my birthday!"

A dangerous spark ignited Kanaye's obsidian orbs, glancing momentarily at his little sister to assure himself that she was asleep, before he dragged his tongue over his lips in memory.

"Are you sure you're remembering the right birthdays?"

Minamaru went red in the face, but remained stubborn.

"But that's only been three times!"

"We've only been dating three years."

"Well, you could have ravished me on any other of my birthdays!"

* * *

Gaara's head fell back on his neck, mouth gaping slightly open as his eyes closed to mere slits.

On his knees, Lee pulled away from Gaara's softening member, his tongue darting out to catch any semen he hadn't caught in his mouth when the redhead had cummed.

From his high post, Gaara watched the display with heat growing in his eyes, his own tongue slowly wetting his bottom lip as he watched his lover lap at the left over essence.

Wrapping his fingers around Lee's chin, he pulled the other boy up off the ground, the sand falling away from the obsidian eyed man as he did so.

Gaara crashed his lips to Lee's, tasting himself on the incredibly pretty mouth. As he did so, he nudged the raven haired boy towards the bed until the back of his knees hit the frame. Then the redhead pushed him onto the bed.

He stared heatedly at the body that was his to do with as he pleased. Already, love bites, scratches, bruises, and sweat had made their appearance on his submissive lover.

Lee laid against the green covers wantonly, staring straight back into Gaara's eyes as he waited for the redhead to join him.

With a shudder, Gaara allowed himself to fall forward, landing between Lee's separated legs, where he crawled up the body till his hips were against Lee's ass. Grabbing the back of both of Lee's knees, he raised them onto his shoulders, leaning forward to steal another kiss from his husband.

Lee's hole, already wet and gaping from earlier rounds, let Gaara slip in as if welcoming him home…

Then squeezed tight around his cock, as if to make sure he'd never leave.

* * *

"How long do you think they can go for?"

Koi continued to sleep peacefully on her 'pillow', ignorant of the dirty conversation occurring near her.

Kanaye shrugged subtly, not really caring.

"Don't know, don't care. As long as they keep it in their wing, they can do as they please."

* * *

Lee screamed again, nothing restraining him from not doing so for the first time in a long time. His hands clenched the bed covers tightly, then went limp as Lee panted in the aftermath of his orgasm.

Gaara cursed, eyes intensifying as his jaw clenched. Around his sensitive member, Lee's flesh squeezed and rippled in it's own aftershocks, dragging Gaara over the edge as well.

As he cummed, he thurst automatically deeper into his lover as he growled savagely through the intense pleasure.

When he was spent, he rolled to Lee's side instead of falling down on his chest, his pale skin covered in a sheet of sweat, just as Lee's was. He raised an arm, and instantly, Lee was cuddled into his side, eyes closed contently as he curled himself around the redhead.

"Did you have a spectacularly youthful birthday, Gaara?"

His eyes slit, Gaara nodded once, pulling Lee more securely against his side, before dragging the bed sheets over them, damn well prepared to face the consequences of not cleaning themselves of their essences that night.

It just too good to get out of bed.

Lee laughed softly under his breath, a cheeky smile coming over his face.

"Wonderful!"

* * *

Minamaru scowled once more, offended by Kanaye's offhand words.

"Well, I hope he has a great birthday!"

He turned his head away, closing his eyes in ignorance. He missed Kanaye's smirk as the older boy began to pet Minamaru's multi colored hair.

"I'm sure he is."


	44. A Genius and his Rose

"Moko! I wanna play with him!"

Despite her high pitched plea, the two year old girl was dragged away from the other young child by the white haired boy. She pouted as he insistently pushed her away from the merry go round, her favorite ride, to the swings.

"You don't _need_ to play with him, though."

Makato stated, gently pushing the raven haired girl onto the lowest swing in the set, before he moved behind her to begin pushing her slowly. Her pout only became more intense as she watched the boy she had wanted to play with start pushing the merry go round without her.

"But I wanna ride the circle thingy!"

Makato, three years old, as well as openly intelligent at this point, smiled good naturedly.

"I'll push you on the merry go round later."

Koi brightened up immediately, sitting up straight in the seat.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Really, _really_ fast?"

Makato chuckled, sticking his tongue out as the boy at the merry go round turned back around again to look at his girl.

"As fast as you want to go."

"Okay!"

As directed by the white haired genius, Koi began swinging her legs, her rose hairpiece fluttering gently in the soft breeze. She began squealing with laughter as the boy continued to push her.

After three or so minutes of Koi being loudly happy, the boy at the merry go round scowled. Hands planted on his hips, the four or so year old made his way over to them, abandoning the swing. He stood next to the white haired boy, both eyeing each other down as Makato continued to swing the girl, then the stranger made the most stupid, most cruel move a small child could do.

He shoved Makato onto the dirty of the playground, almost growling down at the glowering boy.

With her support gone, as well as alarmed, Koi fell backwards off of the swing in an attempt to look over her shoulder to see what was happening.

Makato's mouth gaped open as Koi sat up, gripping tearfully at the elbow she had landed on, tears evident in her eyes. He growled, turning his eyes back to the bully.

The blonde haired child paled as he looked from Koi to Makato, his mouth snapping open and shut. His dull brown eyes met Makato's nearly glowing blue ones, then he gulped. He turned tail, screaming for his mommy.

The assured genius shot up, planning on hunting the boy down.

"M-Moko? Are y-you ok-kay?"

He held off thoughts of revenge, instead kneeling by the hurt girl's side. He gently grabbed the girl's arm, pulling the slightly bleeding scratch into the light of the sun to see it better.

"M-Moko?"

He smiled assuredly, gently petting the girl's hair in comfort. She sniffed again, rubbing away her tears with her other hand. Then she blinked, her hand rising into the raven strands of her hair to pat at her own hair. Horror filled her young face as she looked madly about herself.

"Roo's rose!"

"It's okay."

Makato grabbed the hair clip off of the ground, patting it clean of dirt. When it was as clean as when they had first arrived, he put it back into her hair. He leaned back, still holding onto the hurt arm as he smiled for her again.

"Is that better?"

She sniffed, nodding furiously as she touched her fingers to the chakra instilled rose, assuring that it would never die. With huge innocent eyes, a small trace of blue-green around obsidian orbs, she looked up to the white haired boy, concern apparent in her eyes…

Even though she had no idea what the word meant.

"Are you okay, Moko?"

He nodded, secretly adding that the boy that had made her fall wouldn't be, very soon.

An angry expression came over Koi's face as she put one hand over the shoulder the older boy had shoved.

"He's mean!"

"Yes, he is. Don't worry, though, Koi, he'll learn not to be so mean very soon here."

He froze, eyes blinking in constant succession, then looked down to where Koi's hand rested. Around the delicate appendage, green chakra had risen. The bruise he had felt throbbing beneath his storm gray shirt suddenly going numb, then disappeared altogether.

"Why did he hurt you?"

Koi took her hand away, smiling as wide as her 'mommy' would.

"There! All better!"

Makato stared at the handy work.

"He was jealous…"

Koi tilted her head, putting a finger to her lips in confusion as her eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because _I _have you and _he_ doesn't."

Makato leaned forward, pressing his lips against Koi's. When he moved away, Koi only smiled again, used to the (frequent) signs of affection.

"Thank you."

She giggled, laying her hand against her hurt elbow, where the same green haze rose again. The scratch disappeared in a matter of microseconds.

"Your welcome!"

Lee, watching from the edge of the playground, chuckled at the happenings. He, as well as almost everyone else in their extensively large family, was used to Makato's affectionate ways towards Koi. He had wanted to dart to their assistance when the young bully had happened upon them, but had forced himself to remain still.

Sometimes, children must resolve their own problems, no matter how much he wished to protect them.

He could only hope they did not break each other's hearts as they became older…

* * *

I felt like writing some MakaKoi fluff! I know babies can talk, walk, and do the happenings at three, not so sure about two… Too bad, she can because I say she can and I happen to be the author. Anyway, I do have BIG news.

1. Yes, Koi has mad skills in the art of healing without even realizing it. I thought it would just be completely awesome if Gaara could walk about his home and see his opposite in everything about him. While he killed as a child, his daughter is healing. I thought that would be sweet… And, because I rule this thing, I was right… It was either this, or she would be like her 'mommy'. Both were pleasing ideas.

2. Ridiculously spaced out name fairytales, has changed her name! It is now S h m i l e y's He. a. rt. (just remove the spaces, they kept cutting it off for some reason). Hence, why I shall be calling her ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart. You might want to remember this, or you'll be terribly confused as we go along.

3. Yes, the rose hairclip was ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart (get used to the new name now, please).

4. I AM HAVING A LOVELY LITTLE DAY!!!! Please don't ruin it by not reviewing.


	45. Girls Are Icky

At the other end of the playground, A black haired boy, about the same age as Makato, scowled at the show of affection.

His pup daddy had told him a while back that he and the white-haired boy had a long history of hostility towards each other. They had always been competitive of each other, making them laugh and talk about the really loud green guy and Makato's dad for some reason.

This was one thing the bug loving boy _refused_ to compete with the white haired boy with.

He _refused _to be so cuddly with girls.

He _refused_ 'cause girls had _cooties_, and _cooties_ were bad.

Now he couldn't touch Makato till he had a bath. Because, if he did, he'd catch cooties too.

He knew because his big sissy had told him as much.

Girls were _icky_, and he was going to avoid them for ever and _ever_!

"Kouga."

At his name, the opaque eyed boy looked up to the opposing figure of the Suna Jounin. He was his big sissy's captain in some awesome, super duper, undercover mission that's been going on for a long time.

"Aya is busy with other things at the moment, she asked me to pick you up."

His magenta eyes scanned the area, landing where Kouga had been directing his scowl.

"Does something displease you about their affectionate proximity?"

Kouga grimaced, his finger twitching as he squinted an eye in confusion.

"What?"

Hitori rolled his eyes.

"Are you angry with Makato because he's playing with Koi?"

"No!"

Kouga viciously shook his head in disagreement of the man's words, actually feeling sick that Hitori would say something like that.

Hitori raised an eyebrow.

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's _icky_!"

The other eyebrow rose.

"Icky?"

"Yeah! That pervert is sick now because he touched a girl, and then he's going to come over here and touch me, then I'll be sick!"

"…Why would you all be sick from touching a girl?"

"Because girls have _cooties_! And cooties are _nasty_!"

Hitori turned his back on the three year old, his shoulders just subtly shaking.

"Oh?"

"Yeah!"

Kouga jumped up, grabbing Hitori's hand as he began running away.

"We gotta go now, or else he'll come over here and make us sick too!"

At the swing set, Makato watched his rival run away with a quirked eyebrow.

It was right, then…

As he always was, of course.

He was highly more superior than his silly rival.

At least _he _didn't believe in a child's tale of 'cooties'.

How stupid.

A person couldn't catch a STD from just touching another girl.

* * *

Just let him bask in his supposed superiority for a while… No one has to tell him that 'cooties' are not the child equivalent to STDs. Though, I think that it pretty damn smart deduction… Oh, look! I'm using such big, smart words! I must be having a Makato moment… Aaaand, it's gone.

I felt like writing some Kouga randomness, because I felt he was neglected. I thought this was really cute. …

Wish I knew why I had started thinking about cooties, though… Oh well, that's just my randomness showing through.


	46. Sweet 16

I was prompted by ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart. So, doing some terrible math, I'm guessing that Minamaru is… 15 at this point? Well, he's about to get a year older, ladies and gentlemen!

Love the randomness.

* * *

Another mission that had lead to another dead end. Again, the people targeting those of the male pregnancy project went unfound.

Aya was actually starting to believe that they had given up, seeing as how the last attempt had been almost two years ago when blondie had given birth to the Uchiha's son.

That had been… disastrous…

For the offender, that is.

Aya had walked in on the wrong moment, the blonde's eyes bleeding red as he removed a clawed hand from the offender's chest, grabbing his newborn son out of the would-be-murderer's arms. Sadly, dashing to the rescue of his son three minutes after having been sown together after a C-section had not been the smartest idea for the Uchiha-Uzumaki.

Luckily, she had caught the baby before Naruto had passed out on the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Maybe the last defeat had ended the attempts?

Either way, she was in Suna to report to the kage with Hitori and Jun that it was another dead end. The funding raccoon daddy had to be putting into the extended mission had to be immense at this point, seeing as how they had all been so busy with it, they hadn't seen any other task aside from it.

Regardless, Aya and Jun were told they were allowed to do as they wished as their team captain went into the Kazekage's office.

That meant, on this beautifully hot day in August of the 13th, that they immediately scurried to one very important destination.

Today was Minamaru's sweet 16, and they had to go terrorize him.

Aya and Jun went through the front door as if they were stepping into their own homes, a large canine grin on Aya's face, accompanied by Oki's dry snickers that sounded an awfully lot like wheezing, with a happily munching down Jun following behind them.

In the small dining room that they first passed by, green daddy peeked out of the open door at them, smiling widely as he waved animatedly.

"Aya-kun! Jun-kun! As well as Oki-kun! It is lovely to see you all today on our firefly's day of birth! Are you all here to wish him happy birthday?"

Aya smirked, casually walking into the room and throwing her arms around green daddy's shoulders, hugging him fiercely, before moving onto the giggling girl trying to hide behind the dining table. When Aya came to close, Koi threw the cover over herself.

"You can't see me!"

Aya's eyebrow shot up, looking to green daddy. He smiled pleasantly.

"We are playing hide and go seek! A very youthful game to test our abilities in the way of concealing ourselves and finding out our opponents!"

"Mommy, come find me!"

Lee chuckled, eyes closing for a brief moment, before he opened them again, twiddling his thumbs as he playfully hummed, pretending obliviousness as he eyed about the room.

"So far, she is proving to be very good at the game! As a matter of fact, I am never able to find her!"

From underneath the table cloth, the small girl giggled.

Jun giggled, rolling up the empty bag of chips and depositing it in the garbage bag.

"I see what you mean. I have no idea where to start looking for her!"

Aya rolled her eyes, though a wide smile remained on her face.

"Green daddy? Can we pause the search for the impossible to find baby girl for a moment?"

Lee blinked, tilting his head as he studied Aya, then his mouth formed a slight 'o' as he remembered why they were there.

"Oh! Right, you are all here to wish our firefly the most youthfully wonderful birthday of his young life!"

He shook his head regretfully.

"I am sorry, but he and our red lotus left home early this morning so they could hold their own celebration."

Aya's mouth dropped open in horror, pretty sure she knew what 'celebration' was occurring between the two.

"And you _let_ them, green daddy?"

Lee sighed, clenching one hand into the 'fist of resolution' as swift tears began to fall down his cheeks.

"There was not a thing I could do! They had left before I had even awaken to take Koi on her morning walk through the cool morning darkness!"

* * *

Minamaru was watching Kanaye with heavy lidded eyes, mouth forming each gasp and moan, but not sounding them.

For one reason or another, his redhead lover was taking all the time in the world to get beyond touching and kissing. All of Minamaru's body was limp and tense at the same time from the constant toying.

He was becoming increasingly annoyed with it, even more so with the mocking humor he saw in the other's obsidian orbs.

He was beginning to hate those eyes. They had been watching him the whole time, promising things the redhead had not even gotten to.

He needed to change that.

"Kan-koi…"

With the coy whisper, Kanaye shuddered, arching his body as if the whisper had gone down his spine as a touch. Minamaru licked his lips, making sure that the other's eyes followed the movement. Slowly, he drifted one hand down his body, curving into his own touch as he shivered.

"I _need_ you…"

Kanaye's eyes tracked the hand's movement as it continued downward, his mouth becoming dry as the multi colored haired boy grabbed his own erection, hissing at the contact.

"Now…"

Kanaye, ever so gradually, reconnected his eyes with amethyst ones, his mouth twisting into a growl.

He thrust his hips against Minamaru's, rubbing their erections together with the younger teen's hand caught between them. Minamaru groaned wantonly as Kanaye hissed, following a trail of sweat from Minamaru's chest to his throat, up to his lips, where he nipped at his mouth and fought Minamaru's tongue in an already won war.

Blindly, he reached for the lube beside them in a pouch that held anything they thought they might need for the occasion, the sand dome guarding them from the morning sun.

Using his thumb, he popped the lid off, leaning back only enough to watch his love's face as he rubbed the liquid over his fingers.

* * *

"Why didn't you hunt them down using your mad ninja skills?"

She was trying not to be mean about it, really, she was.

Yet… green daddy actually letting both of his sons lose their virginity in one go really did seem unbelievable. Especially with Minamaru only being 16 and Kanaye rounding on 19.

Lee sighed, lifting up a chair to assure his daughter that he had yet to find her, as he chuckled softly.

"Aya-kun. When you have children, you shall understand that you can not make decisions for them. Both our firefly and our red lotus know what they are doing. As much as I wish to stop them, I know that this is what they really want. If I were to try to force my beliefs on them, that would be unfair to them as intelligent, legal males!… She is not under the sofa, either. Have you found her yet, Jun?"

Jun shook his head, trying to hide his smile, but failing miserably.

Some feet behind them, Koi giggled madly, the table cover wrapped around her. She had come to assume that the fabric _had_ to be a cloak of invisibility, seeing as how no one could find her while she was under it. So, as they had moved from room to room looking for her, she had followed after them, laughing because they couldn't find her, no matter how hard they looked.

Aya had to bite her tongue, literally. She had told green daddy constantly that she had no plans of having babies in her life. They were loud, time consuming, dependent, and stinky. Half the time, she could hardly stand her younger brother! Yet, for some reason, everyone expected her to start popping them out like a bitch giving birth.

Hell to the no, it wasn't going to happen! She was going to leave the baby birthing to the men. They went about it better than she had seen any female do.

Instead, she gamely picked up a cushion and squinted into it's shallow depths, then sighed in defeat.

"Can't find her there, either."

Koi put a hand to her mouth to stop the more loud laughter from escaping, almost bouncing beneath the simple red cloth that had once covered the dining room table.

They were never going to find her!

* * *

Kanaye increased the tempo, thrusting his fingers faster into Minamaru's puckered hole. The whole time, he bathed the boy's nipples with lavish attention, his heated black eyes watching as he writhed and whimpered.

"Kan-koi!"

Minamaru grabbed onto Kanaye's shoulders, meeting the older boy's eyes with glazed over violet eyes, darkened entirely by desire.

"Now!"

Kanaye removed his lips from the boy's hard nipples, wiping at his lips to retrieve any trails of saliva, before he caught the boy's mouth in a long kiss, removing his wet fingers from within the birthday boy.

Taking the same fingers, he stroked the wet digits down his own shaft, bucking into his hand as he made his cock slick enough to take away some pain.

With that done, he hooked one of Minamaru's knees, jacking it up, as he guided his weeping member to the glass nin's puckered entrance, ever so slowly pushing himself through the ring of muscle.

Against his lips, Minamaru hissed in displeasure, his nails digging into Kanaye's shoulders as he bit the redhead's lip painfully, breaking the delicate skin.

Snarling, Kanaye returned the favor, nipping sharply at Minamaru's bottom lip. The small amount of blood transfers and mingles, combining their body and soul in all ways possible as Kanaye begins whispering to Minamaru.

"You're so tight… I feel as if I could get lost in you…"

He ran his tongue over the red slit in Minamaru's lip, gently inserting more of himself into the slowly adjusting boy.

"So wet and _hot_, I feel like I could be in hell, but it's too good to be true…"

Minamaru shuddered, a red hue rising in his cheeks due to the commentary. A little more of the discomfort ebbed away, revealing more pleasure as his redhead lover pushed cautiously forward.

Kanaye had to grit his teeth for a moment, relieved to have the head through, but not sure if he could go so slow a moment longer. He could tell by how Minamaru's nails continued to dig into his shoulders that another moment was needed, but it was just so _tempting_ to pound his boyfriend into the blanket they had overtop the sand.

He leaned upward, changing the angle his dick was coming from with it, causing Minamaru to gasp, arching his lower body into the sudden shock of pleasure. Kanaye looked down at Minamaru with slit eyes, mouth coming to gap open as he watched his young lover arch his entire body into the new angle.

Minamaru's slim figure was as moonlight, seeming to glow as such with the fine sheen of sweat covering him. Hickeys marked him from his throat, down to his thighs, proudly proclaiming that he belonged to the Sabaku son. Small, almost unnoticeable, scars were traced in an intricate pattern across his arms, actually by accident when practicing his glass jutsues, and having to go on defense. The same markings could only be seen sparsely on his chest, belly, and legs, if only one was looking for them.

Kanaye had found every one of them, counting just how many there were an hour ago.

42 in all, most of them so small and faded, they appeared as if they would disappear the next day.

Minamaru's lustful eyes were as wide as they could be, opening more with each inch his body took in until all seven inches were engulfed, his mouth gaping like a fish's.

He wrapped his long legs around Kanaye's hips, holding him where he was. His lithe arms wrapped themselves about the redhead's shoulders, leaving behind dark crescents where his nails had dug into the skin.

Kanaye panted, his arms trembling as he went still for a moment, waiting for his young lover to signal he was ready. When Minamaru squeezed his legs, he slammed forward, then retreated to where only his head remained housed, then repeated, throwing back his head with a curse as they boy's flesh tightened around him. Minamaru cried out, shoving himself into the union with as much force as Kanaye had, his slender body making an almost perfect 'n' against the ground as he curved so perfectly into it.

Kanaye continued the rough pace, his onslaught becoming more powerful and quick as Minamaru began to cry louder and louder for more.

Always, his love wanted more.

He nipped at the offered flesh before his face, capturing one sandy colored nipple between his two canines where he played with the sensitive bud.

"More!"

The redhead growled, putting his hands to the back of both of Minamaru's knees, lifting them from around his waist to over his shoulders. With them secured there, he followed the soft skin of them to where Minamaru's arms remained intact around his shoulders. Following them from the elbow up, he grabbed the boy's hands and slammed them down onto the ground, forcing himself so deep within the other boy, his cock touched against the bundle of nerves that made Minamaru nearly scream, his eyes blind as he stared above Kanaye's head.

"More!"

"Always more!"

With his roar, Kanaye sat up on his knees, forcing Minamaru to balance on his shoulders and elbows as he gained momentum even deeper.

Kanaye turned his head, biting the tender flesh of the inside of his lover's thigh, his lips twisted into a snarl as he broke apart from all sanity.

Beneath him, Minamaru lost all breath, his hands clenching the soft blanket beneath them, as well as the sand beneath that. His neck arched, digging the back of his head into the contorting ground, feeling grains rise and fall against his skin, racing about his body, making it all the more sensitive.

As if he were entirely static, the sand clung to him, then released, only to return with more force behind it. One wisp of it swirled slowly around his weeping member, only to fall back to the ground. Another length of the combined particles boldly grabbed onto it, tightening and loosening spontaneously. Even more of it continued to teasingly drag at his hard buds, making him whimper as he was brought so much closer to the edge.

* * *

Aya scowled, leaning close to green daddy's ear.

"How long do we have to pretend we don't see her?"

Lee smiled conspiringly, putting a finger to his lips to signal to her to be patient, even as his eyes laughed knowingly.

A second later, Koi could no longer contain her loud laughter, throwing her 'invisibility cloak' to the ground as she raised her arms high above her head.

"Here I am! I was following you, and you still couldn't find me!"

Lee, as if he had _never_ known, spun around, hand over his heart and eyes as wide as he could possibly make them. His jaw was slack, seemingly in shock.

"My beautiful rose! I would have never known you were there! How were you hiding so well while following after us?"

He got down on his knees before his daughter, who smiled proudly.

"You must tell us your fiery secret!"

Koi shook her head smugly.

"No, no! A mastermind doesn't tell secrets!"

Aya's eyebrow shot up, surprised that the girl knew such a word. As if thinking the same thing, Jun's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Wow, Koi, that's a big word! Do you know what it means?"

Koi pouted at Jun's question, losing some gusto.

"No. Moko just says it a lot when he's being smart."

Aya went forward, hoping to get the guilty look off of Jun's face and the frown off of green daddy's by consoling the child. She kneeled next to green daddy, smiling somewhat as he met the girl's eyes.

"You know Moko's a super genius, right? You're trying to be to fast! Be a kid while he does his smart things. Once day, you'll know anything you need to know, and a lot more."

Koi's pout increased.

"Yeah, but Moko might not wanna be my best friend anymore if I'm not smart!"

Aya snickered.

"You know, you remind me a lot of your brothers. They were once best friends too."

Lee nodded, smiling encouragingly…

Until he realized where Aya was going with this, then his face developed a red hue and he choked on his own spit.

Which was sad, really, because it meant he couldn't come to the rescue of his daughter's innocence. Jun, who was just now having the dawning realization, didn't have the time to tell Aya to shut up before it was too late.

"Until they became butt buddies. Now, you can't tear those two apart with anything in the world. And I bet, one day, you and Moko? You'll both me making it out just like your brothers."

Koi pouted more in confusion than hurt at this point, eyebrows drawn together with the emotion as she tilted her head, putting a finger to her bottom lip in thought.

"What's a butt buddy?"

"You don't need to know!"

Jun darted forward, capturing the girl into his arms and raising her high in a distraction method. Over his shoulder, he mouthed threats to the snickering dog nin, then moved out of the room before the girl could corrupt Koi any further. Lee, after successfully swallowing the obstructing spit, followed after. At the open door, he turned and gestured for Aya to follow, forgiving her already for nearly destroying his daughter's innocence when it came to the passionate activity.

It wasn't as if everyone else hadn't already taken a chunk out of it.

* * *

Minamaru's groan gained volume until it was a scream, white sperm jetting out of his pointing erection all over their chests as well as some on their faces.

Kanaye cursed once more, feeling Minamaru's flesh tighten and ripple around his sensitive cock in the boy's release. The sensation caused his own to come about, arching more fully into the body beneath him as he released his seed into the birthday boy.

Spent, he sagged against his lover, allowing the boy's long legs to slip off of his shoulders to land heavily against the blanket. Different lengths of sand feel back onto the ground, no longer held by the redhead's desire.

He brushed his lips against Minamaru's one last time, listening to the boy's breath evening out and deepening. In his grip, Minamaru's hands became limp.

Looking into Minamaru's eyes, he found them to be amethyst again, half lidded as the boy's long eyelashes rested against his cheeks.

"So _that's_ why raccoon daddy only has sex for his birthday…"

Kanaye nodded to Minamaru's groggy statement, too tired to answer out loud.

Apparently, who ever had said the first time didn't last long, was not a shinobi, with shinobi libido. That had been…

Mind blowing… beyond imagining…

Damn tiring.

Kanaye sagged against Minamaru's limp form, his obsidian eyes falling closed as he languidly reached into the pouch of supplies they had brought with them. He grabbed the hand towel and the small flask of water, wetting the cloth down somewhat. He dragged it over Minamaru's body lazily, wiping away the semen and sweat, paying careful attention to the leaking substances coming from his abused entrance, before quickly wiping the cum from his own body, uncaring of doing anything else.

With that done, he fell exhausted by his lover's side, tugging the taller frame against him where he tucked the boy's head under his chin, stroking the multi colored hair as his eyes began to slide shut.

The last thing he did awake was jutsu the sand dome to stay up through his unconscious state, then he was peacefully, altogether, out of it.

There were reasons they had brought enough provisions to last them a day or so.

* * *

"When's grumpy face and firefly coming home?"

Koi's childish voice brought the question out into the open. Aya, Jun, and Lee sat dejectedly around the dining room table, waiting for the two boy to come back home.

Aya scowled, shrugging her shoulders. Jun just shook his head, eating his new bag of chips slowly as he waited. Lee only smiled secretly, almost positive he knew when the two would come home.

Right when it wasn't Minamaru's birthday anymore.

* * *

In case none of you guessed, ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart wished to have some KanaMina smut. I actually feel pretty damn proud of myself, though very tired… That just about took me three hours to write. Where does the time go?

If you enjoyed the lovely love, please do tell me about, hm?


	47. Say Kunai!

Minamaru and Kanaye lost their virginity in the last chapter! Oh, that made me proud to be a man baby owner… It also made ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart proud to be a man baby owner. It's just radiating pride all around!

But, anyway, I had this wonderful idea hit me earlier. I am going to act on it!

* * *

Sky blue eyes were unblinking on my own eyes.

The child's intelligence is questionable and immense at the same time, a knowing light in his eyes. His raven blue hair was fashioned much like Naruto's, but his gaze was much like the traitor's.

It was cold and calculating, degrading.

Officially, I know I can not trust this child.

"Hey, red!"

Naruto waved at me, despite not being two feet away from me holding the unnerving two year old.

He wore an orange kimono, fashioned with the usual swirl on it's back, unsurprisingly. The small creature he was holding was wearing a small dark blue kimono.

"Kosuke reminds you a lot of the teme bastard, doesn't he?"

His grin was widely proud, hitching the boy higher against his shoulder. Naruto's eyes continued to stare at me from the small face.

"Aww, come on, Gaara!"

Naruto reached out and hit my shoulder. If it was a brotherly show of affection, I was not amused. He thrust his child towards me, bumping the boy against my chest. I refused to open my arms out to him.

"You know you want to hold him!"

Actually, I didn't. Clearly, the raven blue haired child didn't either, seeing as how he was glaring up at me, fighting to go back to Naruto.

The child unsettled me in ways first seeing my own blood had. I doubt it is because of who his parents are, I accept Naruto's right to have a child, and I have realized that there was nothing I could do to stop him from doing so.

It's the child's similarities to his father that leaves me annoyed. I have no doubt in mind that this child will do as his traitor father had done.

Not one.

"Gaara! Ah! You have met Naruto-kun's and Sasuke-san's beautiful son!"

My lover was by my side in a flash of a second, happily cooing over the creature. He turned to me, eyes large and dewy.

"Is he not wonderful!? Full of youthful fire! I can see it in his eyes! He shall grow to be a magnificent warrior!"

I nod to that, finding no quarrel with his last statement. Naruto's son will grow to be magnificent, that much is obvious in how he tries to stare us down.

It's in what ways he'll be magnificent that makes me uneasy.

* * *

"Koi, be careful."

Makato dragged the three year old from the bank of the creek, ignoring her cries for him to stop.

Yes, he knew she just wanted to look at the tiny fishies. Yes, he knew she only planned on putting her feet in the water.

"No,"

He stated, as he sat her down on a bench near to the running water

"it would have ruined your pretty kimono."

She pouted prettily, looking down to her bare feet as she swung them. She fingered the rose hair clip holding some strands of hair out of her round face. She didn't want Moko to be right! Why couldn't he be wrong for once?

But it was a pretty dress… Really soft against her skin and a nice grass green color, just like her 'mommy's' clothes. It had lots of pretty roses over it, in all kinds of colors: white, red, pink, yellow… It was really colorful and cute.

She frowned as she looked at Moko's simple storm gray kimono.

"Is that what you're wearing for the picture?"

Makato quirked an eyebrow at the question, looking down at himself.

"Yes, it is."

Koi squirmed on the bench, feeling guilty.

"But it's not pretty!"

The eyebrow rose higher, the white haired boy's lips twitching subtly.

"It's not supposed to be pretty. Only girls are supposed to look cute in kimonos, Koi."

Koi frowned harder, eyebrow drawing together.

"Well, you should look pretty for the picture! Mommy said that a picture says a thousand words, and everyone one of them has to be important!"

She looked so adamant in her case, Makato couldn't help but chuckle.

"How much is a thousand, Koi?"

She opened her mouth, about to tell him just how much a thousand was, then closed her mouth, blinking in confusion. Her shoulders sagged as she pouted again.

"You're making fun of me!"

He stroked her hair, gently kissing her lips.

"Of course I'm not! That would be mean."

"Yeah!"

"Hey! Lovebirds! We're about to take the picture! Get yo buts up here!"

Koi's head shot up at Aya's voice, looking to the older girl who was simply dressed in her shinobi gear. Beside her, Oki was nearly jumping on her heels in joy, barking loudly in agreement for them to hurry.

Koi stood up swiftly, grabbing Makato's hand as she dashed toward the woman.

"We're coming!"

* * *

Kouga had found a beetle.

Of course, finding it had cost him.

The brown kimono he had been forced to wear was now smeared with mud, as well as his cleanly washed pale skin. His black hair had some clumps of dirty throughout it.

Not that he cared. It was only one picture!

He captured the beetle in his hands, a large canine grin on his face as he stood up where he was.

Which was bad, because he had been crawling in a small den, most likely made by a fox or other creature and then abandoned. More dirt fell into his hair, leaving behind brown marks on his kimono. The beetle escaped him as he rubbed the crown of his head, sneering up at the loose roof. That only invited more dirt to fall, landing on his lips where he spat them out.

Having learned his lesson, he scowled at the ground instead.

"Kouga! It's time to take the picture-… Oh, Kouga… Look what you did to yourself!"

Kouga turned partially around, meeting the upset gaze of Jun who kneeled at the entrance. He crawled out of the den to the man, allowing himself to be picked up by the living teddy bear.

Jun tried to clear away some of the damage by wetting the end of his sleeve and running it over Kouga's face, ignoring the other's squirming. When it was relatively unmarked, he brushed out as much of the dirt in his hair as possible. Kouga whined the whole time, trying to push the man's hand away.

"Uke! I'm fine!"

Jun grimaced at the nickname.

Aya was rubbing off a bit to much on her four year old brother.

"Not fine enough for the picture. Remember, the whole family is going to be there."

Kouga scowled, opaque eyes glittering with distaste.

"That means the pervert's going to be there too, doesn't it?"

Jun nodded. Kouga stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"I don't want to stand next to him! He's going to be all mushy on the girl! Then he's going to hug me because he knows I don't want him to!"

Jun began laughing as Kouga continued with a list of complaints against the white haired genius the whole time they walked back to the gathering.

* * *

"Hito, be respectful of our friends."

Neji turned cold eyes away from his 20 year old son, walking forward to join his wife who was chatting happily with their former teammate.

"We don't need any more shame brought upon our name."

Hito remained blank faced until his father was by his mother's side, only his hands clenching at his sides a sign of his anger.

He had had that argument before they had even left for the photo shoot. His father had had a long, disgracing list of things he wasn't allowed to do.

One of them was going near Minamaru. As if anyone could order him to do such a thing. It had been the boy's birthday a few weeks ago, and he had a gift he wished to give him personally.

There was no way he would have the jewel. It was a ring made especially for the glass nin. Tiny diamonds surrounded by small amethyst stones, the same color as Minamaru's eyes.

Money had bought the ring, so the ring will buy the boy. A wonderful piece of philosophy that has yet to be disproved after experimenting with three different girls and one other man.

"I sense a disaster coming."

Hito tilted his head towards the voice coming behind him, though he didn't turn around to towards it, a scowl born on his face.

"Do you now? Does it include you losing Minamaru?"

Kanaye's cold black eyes stared at the back of the other's head, arms folded lazily over his chest.

"No. It involves your painful disgrace."

Now Hito turned towards the redhead, purposefully invading the other's space. He looked down smugly at the cold faced male. It was so much easier to intimidate someone when they're shorter.

However, Kanaye wasn't intimidated. He was annoyed that Hito was acting like a school yard bully, but not frightened. He twitched a finger, eyes following as the lilac eyed adult leaped two feet back, falling into a position of defense.

"I don't know what Tenten and Neji did to deserve a son like you, but you need to grow up."

Hito sneered, standing up from his defense position as if he hadn't just made a fool of himself.

"I have grown up! I'm older than you, remember?"

"You're 21 years old. You are treated special by your main branch leader, Hyuuga, Hinata. Because of her childless status and her younger sister's affirmed bachelor life, you are runner up to be the Hyuuga leader."

Now it was Kanaye who invaded the other boy's space, staring him down, despite having to look up to do it once he was directly in front of him.

"I've done your background check. I know damn well everything there is to know, which is a little more than I wanted to know."

He narrowed his eyes upon the older male's grimace.

"Have you done your homework of who you're messing with? Minamaru's not the orphan he was when you first met him. He has a very powerful family standing beside him, one many times more powerful than yours."

"Kanaye! It's time to take the pic! We're holding Koi!"

A cry of disagreement followed after the joyful statement.

"… And you're holding Momo!"

"Grumpy face, come on!"

Kanaye's eyes flickered to where Minamaru was wildly waving for him to come over, Koi seconding the motion while Makato stood loyally by her side.

With no respect for the Hyuuga heir, he pushed pass him towards his family.

"You can't have him."

Then Kanaye completely ignored the scowling man, not saying anything even after he joined the small group of people.

It left Hito, not only ashamed, but furious.

* * *

The large group of people stood in no particular order of what 'family' they were a part of. Mostly, they stood next to the people they loved more.

On the first stand, from right to left:

Lady Tsunade, growling that she shouldn't even be there and that everyone else were idiots every time they bumped into her, was scowling at a white strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes. She hated that she was getting too old to hide her age now. Luckily, her face remained unmarked by the turning of years, though her hair was nearly three shades lighter than when she had first became hokage.

Next to her, Naruto was snickering as he watched his teme bastard try to hold his son, but ultimately fail, as the small raven blue haired boy crawled right out of his arms back into Naruto's waiting ones. Kosuke was an affirmed 'momma's' boy. Sasuke frowned down at his son, then hit his 'wife' upside the head for laughing. Not only did the blonde scream at him, so did his child.

By them, Kakashi gamely read his Icha Icha novel, ignorant of Gai's cries of youth being captured and how wonderful it was to have the family together again. Neji had grudgingly stood next to his former sensei, as the prodding of his wife and Lee, who was happily taking on Gai's speech. Gaara had, despite the close proximity it put him to the aged shinobi, stood next to his husband. Kankuro and Temari, who decided they had to torture their brother, stood along side with him; Kankuro behind the redhead, while Temari took up his left flank.

Close to them, Iruka was talking with Hitori, waiting for the photographer to be ready. Standing next to her team captain, Aya grudgingly listened on, bored already with staying still. So many people she could prank, yet so little time…

Standing on the ground, from right to left:

Shino held Kouga in his arms, occasionally brushing away some more dirt that had stuck to him. Kiba was glowing with the pride he felt for his son for getting down and dirty. Next to him, Minamaru was bouncing Koi in his arms, making the girl squeal happily as she clung tightly to his dark purple kimono, both of them having the time of their lives. Meanwhile, Kanaye and Makato were sharing a look of boredom as the redhead held the white haired child up.

Chouji was watching Minamaru and Koi with a happy smile on his face. Shikamaru stood between his husband and Kanaye, agreeing with their boredom so much, he had stood next to them.

Geniuses just weren't entertained by this sort of thing.

Jun stood next to his 'mommy', Samaie's arms wrapped around his waist as he hummed happily to the joy circulating around him. Hito stood furthest from them, grudgingly accepting a distance… for now.

Chouza was boasting loudly with his long time friend, Shikaku, his large frame neatly put in front of no one so everyone could be seen. Shikaku only listened tiredly, already yawning as he waited for when he could get out of there.

"Alright, everyone! Say 'kunai'!"

Everyone turned towards the camera man as he said the words. In that moment, hell broke loose…

And was caught on photo.

* * *

From right to left, standing on stand… or most of them, anyway.

Lady Tsunade had turned sideways, a look that could strike horror into any soul slapped across her face, as she began screaming at Naruto to take his kid off her head. Naruto, who had just been trying to get his son high enough to be seen by the camera, had that look of horror on his face as Kosuke had decided he'd rather stand on the kage's shoulders, looking uninterestedly forward. Sasuke had his head turned away, an irritated smile on his face as he tried to reign in his anger.

Kakashi was in the middle of flipping a page, ignorant of Gai's expression of mortification as he swung around to direct the look towards his most adorable student… Who had been stolen into a kiss by his redhead lover when the camera had gone off. Neji had his face in his hand while Tenten smiled prettily for the camera, unknowing of what had just happened.

Kankuro had turned away with disgust on his face, holding his hands before his face in a 'Really didn't want to see that!' way. Temari, however, held up two fingers behind her youngest brother's head, smirking at the camera. Whether she was aware of what her brother was doing or not, she didn't let on.

Iruka had his mouth gaping open as he looked to the chaos to his right, even as Hitori looked to his left to raise an eyebrow at his teammate while she held up two arched fingers behind his head to look like horns, her smile was so wide, her eyes looked shut.

Standing on the ground, from right to left…

Kouga had caught sight of a butterfly, and was now halfway to the ground with his 'mother's' horrified gaze following after him. Whether Shino had the same expression on his face was undetermined. Minamaru had an 'oh, no!' face as he watched the fall as well, holding Koi so tightly to his chest, she would have been whining…

If Makato had not reached over, and instantly pulled her into a kiss, which Kanaye rolled his eyes at, connected understanding gazes with the Nara male. Chouji, as well, was reaching for the child as if he could stop the fall, his fist noticeably twice the size than was normal.

Jun, who had yet to realize the catastrophe, was blushing brightly as he looked down to where Samaie had his head cuddled against the junction of his throat and shoulder, the purple haired boy nibbling on the flesh to be found there.

Hito looked disgusted.

Chouza looked somewhat offended by the intimacy beside him, his mouth open as if he planned to say something. Shikaku had his heard turned up towards the sky, hands in his pockets.

Yet, somehow, the picture managed to find it's way onto eight different stands in varying frames.

It was a moment they would all keep with them forever.

* * *

Whoa! That took me almost five hours to write! Ridiculous, right? But, yeah, Kouga's just fine… He's a hard head, no fall's going to bring him down.


	48. Minamaru is Calling You

I was having another conversation with ridiculously spaced out dotted name heart, and this idea randomly came up. I decided, since there had been a TV and guitar hero in the first chapter, that I may as well do this idea. We just laughed our asses off.

I own NONE of these lyrics, remember that, please.

* * *

"Please!"

The overly large man, almost the size of a small giant, held up his hand for mercy, crawling away from the redhead. With him, his two fellow small giants showed much the same behavior.

Kanaye showed neither mercy, nor enjoyment, as he followed slowly after their slug pace. His arms were folded uncaringly over his chest, his black gourd dismembering itself as it continued to let loose coal colored sand like an erupting disaster.

"Let us go! We'll never go near either the fire country, or your own! We swear, don't we, guys?"

Eagerly, the other two nodded to their leader's statement.

_I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me. _

_I still feel your touch in my dreams. _

Kanaye's eye twitched as he attempted to appear languid as he reached into the color of the shirt he had over his mesh, pulling out a small red phone.

The three men who had just been begging for their lives were now snickering, not even trying to hide the fact as they all began teasing the smaller redhead.

_Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why. _

_Without you it's hard to survive._

_(Cascada: Every time we touch)_

"Aw! His little girlyfriend is callin'!"

"Ain't that just adorable?"

"Yeah! Makes me all teary eye- UH!"

With the calmness of one that had not just sand coffined three overly large men, Kanaye flipped open his phone, a gift from his lover that had been custom made with a picture of them kissing on the cover, a little glass gourd swaying from it's antenna as he did so. He pressed it to his ear.

"**Did I just interrupt something important?"**

Minamaru's innocent voice… Not so innocent. Again, Kanaye's eyebrow twitched as he held his other arm across his chest in his usual manner.

"What was your first clue? The mission report on father's desk stating this as an A-class mission, or the dead bodies you just passed by?"

"**I didn't pass any dead bodies!"**

"Oh? My GPS says otherwise. Wasn't it you who said technology doesn't lie?"

He could hear Minamaru pout through the phone.

"**I just wanted to lend a hand, jeez!"**

"Arune?"

"**Yes?"**

"If you want to help, change the ringtone you have set for me."

He didn't bother to listen to his lover's whine about it as he snapped the small machine shut, his eyes sliding to the three gory bodies looking with horror up at the sky.

"Now who gets the last laugh?"

Of course, he didn't laugh. But it still humored him to say so.

* * *

Aya ran her tongue over her top lip, her eyes dilated.

She wasn't doing it because she was being stimulated, she was doing it because it terrified the shit out of the bastard she was, literally, standing on. By her side, Oki was growling viciously, her ears tight against her head as her eyes glowed savagely in the light of the full moon.

Another lead… That actually lead somewhere after two years of nothing.

It was both terrifying and exciting at the same time. Exciting, because they could finally bring the bastards down. Terrifying, because that meant that bastards hadn't given up like they thought.

There was fire, blood, and screams echoing throughout the building that had been nothing but white washed walls a few minutes ago. People who had been calm and cold were now pleading for their lives, or in a puddle of their own blood.

It was so beautifully chaotic, she was both on the edge of insanity, and on the edge of screaming her head off in disbelief.

Not too far from her, she could hear Jun hyperventilating, having the same problem, but less able to hide it. Somewhere else in the building, she was sure Hitori was having no problem toeing aside corpses as he moved towards anything that could take them a level higher.

This bastard had just thought he could slip past them like it was nothing… Which he was proved terribly wrong at.

_Who let the dogs out!? woof, woof, woof, woof_

_Who let the dogs out!? woof, woof, woof, woof_

The trapped man began laughing hysterically, tears falling from his eyes as the reality of the song hit him square in the face. To him, it must be an extremely good question.

Aya smirked as well, her mind easing somewhat from the edge as the song swirled into her and brought back the humor of home. From somewhere behind her, she heard Jun choke on his own laughter.

_Who let the dogs out!? woof, woof, woof, woof_

_Who let the dogs out!? woof, woof, woof, woof_

_(Who let the dogs out: Baha men)_

"Arune's calling you."

Aya smiled more gently, turning her back on the man who could now be labeled clinically insane as she took a phone out of her pocket, their family photo as it's cover and back, and flipped it open.

"Hey, rainbow boy! How's life?"

She refused to look behind her as the man's mad laughter was cut off abruptly. She heard Oki's growl before the huge she wolf trotted to her side. In reward, Aya scratched her behind her ear, ignoring the blood she knew would get caught between her nails.

"**I just called Kanaye, and he was mean to me! That bastard, I just wanted to help him out!"**

Aya snickered, facing the phone more towards Jun, who came to her side, so they could both hear their young friend complain.

"I'm sorry, rainbow boy."

"**No, you're not!"**

"You're right, Arune, she's not… She's too busy laughing."

True to Jun's word, Aya was doubled over with snickers. It was just too precious a moment not to be.

* * *

Minamaru pouted again as he listened to Aya laugh on the other end, staring down at his flip phone that was decorated with a picture of him and Kanaye cuddling on the front, another picture of raccoon daddy, mommy, and Koi on the back.

He snapped the phone shut as he heard Jun say goodbye.

He missed them all. On average, they'd all been gone about a month by this time. He had been the only one home for some strange reason, most possibly to watch after Koi as raccoon daddy did his kage thing.

With mommy back from his B rank mission, Minamaru had raced to catch up with his friends. He knew where they were because he had (Ahem- 'accidentally'… maybe…) looked at the mission reports.

They were actually closer together than Minamaru thought they knew. They were only east of each other! Minamaru planned on reuniting them…

After he figured out how to find one or the other… He hated to admit it, but… Well…

He was lost.

Somewhere after passing a huge oak tree that looked irritatingly familiar to another tree he swore he had passed before, some -large- amount of times, he had gone still and waited. He waited for his chakra to spread out to find them, unable to depend on the GPS in his phone, because, of course, it only went one way…

To _Kanaye's _phone…

Which the redhead had installed _especially_…

And he called Hito his stalker…

_Come stop your crying_

_It will be all right_

_Just take my hand Hold it tight_

His frown disappeared as his face lit up. Instead of scurrying for the phone he had placed back into his pouch, he swayed gently to the tone.

_I will protect you_

_from all around you_

_I will be here_

_Don't you cry_

_(Phil Collins: You'll be in my heart)_

Minamaru had a happy flush over his cheeks as he reached for the special phone, flipping it open before the ringtone ended.

"You're lost, aren't you?"

"**I am not!"**

Instantly, the feeling of floating joy dissipated into annoyance with his lover's know-it-all attitude.

"Arune, what's closest to you?"

"**A very large oak tree that I've passed so many times!"**

"Stay there, and I'll be with you in a moment."

"**Kanaye!"**

He could hear the other pause at the urgency in his tone.

"Yes?"

"**I didn't know you changed your ringtone for me."**

He snickered, experiencing one of the very rare times in which he felt something amazingly unique happen.

Through the phone, he swore he could see the faintest tint of red on the redhead's cheeks.

"I refuse to use the one you put on here for you."

"**Aw! Why? Bad romance by Lady Gaga is a wonderful song!"**

"I'll be there in a few seconds."

"**Kanaye, don't hang up on me!-"**

Minamaru pouted down at his phone, then sighed. He leaned against the giant oak tree he could have sworn had been stalking him, and closed his eyes in tiredness.

Taking care of two insane people, one living teddy bear, and a living plushie was just too much work for one firefly to do. Too bad he loved his work, or else he'd be considered normal.

As he flipped open his phone again, scrolling down a long list of contacts, he smirked.

Who the heck wanted to be normal? He didn't!

* * *

When Aya's phone had started vibrating, they had both known instantly who it was.

Three seconds later, with Hitori leading them, they were running towards the location where Kanaye had asked for them to meet him at. As they ran,

'_Cause you keep me coming back for more_

_And I feel a little better than I did before_

Jun stumbled in his head long run, his eyes widening as he blushed. Beside him, Aya's eyebrow shot up, giving him a canine smirk as he stopped suddenly, pulling out his own cell phone.

Custom made so a picture of him and Samaie hugging showed on the front of it.

_And if I never see your face again_

_I don't mind_

'_Cause we gone much further than I thought we'd get tonight_

_(Rihanna, ft. Maroon 5: If I never see your face again)_

Jun fumbled with it as he pulled it forcibly open, refusing to look to his team captain who's expression was twin to Aya's aside from the smirk, or Aya and Oki themselves.

"Yes, Arune?"

"**Do you like my new ringtone for you!?"**

He just could not bring himself to say no to the apparent joy in the younger boy's voice, though he was tempted with how he could hear Aya making snide remarks.

"I- I guess… Is there… something else you could… you know, use for my ringtone?"

From the other side, Minamaru laughed as if Jun had just said the funniest thing. Jun lost all hope as he heard it.

"**Oh! Kanaye's beeping me! I'll get back to you later!"**

Jun snapped his phone shut, ignoring Aya's laughter as he began to momentum himself forward.

_Dance, Dance_

_We're falling apart to half time_

He and Aya both froze in their actions. Hardly believing, the honey haired boy turned to his team captain, who stared blankly back at their shocked expressions.

"What?"

"Dude… That's _your _cell."

Hitori's eyebrow shot up at Aya's claim, then followed her pointed finger down to where it gestured to the pouch about his waist.

_Dance, Dance_

_And these are the lives you'd love to lead_

He scowled as he realized she was right. Opening it, he took out a cell phone that was plainly black.

_Dance, this is the way they'd love_

_If they knew how misery loved me_

_(Fall out boy: Dance, dance)_

He flipped it open, grimacing as he did so.

"Why did you bother to give me a ringtone when you hardly know me, Minamaru?"

"**Hi! Kanaye just told me that you're all meeting us here. I just wanted to make sure you're keeping my family safe. Bye!"**

Aya was shaking her head, clearly disturbed.

"Wow… That was sad."

With that, she and Jun ran ahead, Oki not far behind. Seconds later, Hitori was before them again, leading them safely to their destination.

* * *

I love the randomness ridiculously spaced out and dotted name and I will reach with this story, don't you? X3 Makes me very happy.


	49. Passing Of a New Leaf

Lady Tsunade scowled again, glaring at the empty bottle of sake in her hands as if it were it's fault.

Which she felt it was, seeing as it was only her third bottle and she was already wasted. She was so far out of it, she couldn't focus on the paper before her.

It was suddenly so difficult to hold down her alcohol… So difficult…

She hated to admit it, as a matter of fact, she _refused _to admit it to herself, but…

The kid was right, she was old.

How old was she? Well, she was over 70, and was still ruling the hidden village. Unfortunately, the paperwork, finances, body count, field work, as well as a thousand other things she had to worry about, have not lessened.

She was Shit Out of Luck.

"Shizune!"

Her assistant skidded into the room, her pink piggy in her arms.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

"Did the letter come yet?"

Her assistant's shoulders drooped with relief. She held out a manila folder to the kage, standing there impatiently for the older woman to open it.

Feeling tense, Lady Tsunade opened up the letter, and read the contents. After three grueling minutes, a smirk descended across her face.

"Shizune?"

Her assistant tilted her head in curiosity.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

"Get the brat up here."

She leaned back in her chair, putting a finger to her lips in smug pride.

"We've got some good news for him."

Shizune smiled widely, already knowing what the news was.

"Immediately, Lady Tsunade!"

She ran quickly out of the room, her pink piggy squealing as he realized what was going on.

It was Naruto's lucky day.

* * *

Seven shadows sailed through the midday sun, most of them silently joyous.

Among them, two of them were smirking, three were alight with happiness, and another two were quietly accepting.

They arrived within Konoha borders, continuing forward as a breakneck speed, a small child held to the chest of a spandex wearing man with a long braid being whipped behind him by the oncoming wind.

As they made their way to the center of the hidden village, emotions became stronger. Even more so when they saw the already extremely large crowd gathered at the foot of the mountain decorated with past Kage's.

Everyone but Gaara stopped in the crowd near the rest of the 'family', whom proudly stood far enough so they could get the best view of the ceremony.

Gaara leaped agiley up the mountain face, landing noiselessly by the side of one Sasuke Uchiha, who stared at him blankly.

"You're late."

The redhead didn't bother to spare him a glance as, he instead, focused his eyes on the boy in the man's arms who stared broodingly up at him.

"There's nothing to be done about it."

He didn't mention that, clearly, so was Naruto.

Across from him, Lady Tsunade wore her usual scowl, her assistant standing by her side with a large grin on her face and piggy in her arms. Closer to Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru stood side by side, the Nara leaning lazily against the railing while Neji remained posed with his hands on his hips.

"So's the brat."

As if she had read his mind, it appeared.

Suddenly, the blonde was there in a poof of smoke, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his head.

"Sorry I'm late, everybody! I forgot what day this was supposed to happen, so I went down to the ramen shop, but they were closed, and that was when I remembered- WHAT WAS THAT FOR, TEME!?"

Naruto rubbed sourly at the back of his head now, his eyes glaring at the raven haired man that had just slapped him upside the head.

"For being a dobe."

Then he gestured to the hundreds of people waiting anxiously below.

"Now do what you've been wanting to do."

Naruto looked with anger from him, down to the uncountable number of people staring up at him with awe. He gulped, his hands going limp at his sides as he stepped more fully into view.

"Is this really happening?"

The question was directed to the hokage, but was instead answered by Gaara. The redhead stepped forward, placing his hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"You have been wanting this your whole life."

He slowly swung an arm out to gesture to everyone standing with him and below him.

"Now, it's yours."

Naruto took a deep breath, then turned to Lady Tsunade, who held the kage robes and hat in hand instead of on her. She smiled as she handed it to Kazekage, who unfolded the material and handed it to the awed man.

He slipped into them, gazing down at the material of it as if it were something magical. Once the cap was firmly on his head, he looked down to the tensely waiting people, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Hey… Gaara."

Gaara turned enquiringly to Naruto, curious as to why the boy hadn't made any obscene move to begin his new life.

"Get Bushy Brows up here for a minute, would ya?"

Gaara blinked, then looked to the waiting crowd unquestioningly. He met eyes with his husband over the vast distance separating them, prompting the braided man to suddenly appear there, startled people looking to where they swore they could still see the path he had taken.

"What is it? Everyone is at unease by your uncommon pause, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gestured for the kaze's 'wife' to come to his side, his eyes hidden by the front the triangulated hat.

Obediently, if not after throwing a confused glance at Gaara, he walked to the man's side, leaning closer to listen to whatever it was the blonde was whispering.

No one on that cliff was sure they liked it when Lee began snickering.

Without another moments pause, Naruto threw off the kage hat with a flourish, putting a foot to the railing just as Lee did. They both gave a high thumbs up to the confused people below.

"I PRESENT TO YOU FIERY WILLED CITIZENS OF THE FIRE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER NATIONALITIES, OUR NEW YOUTHFULLY DETERMINED HOKAGE!"

"BETTER BELIEVE IT!"

If they weren't startled, they were laughing. Luckily, they were all clapping.

In the back with Chouji, Chouza, Tenten, Sakura, Ino, Shikaku, Hitori, Aya, Jun, Kanaye, Minamaru, Koi, Gai, Kakashi, Iruka, as well as the rest of the first, second, and third generation that was not up on the cliff with the newly appointed hokage, the laughter and applause was loudest.

If they weren't hugging and kissing one another, they were giving out noogies with extremely large grins that hardly equaled just how proud they were in their blonde. Gai was giving the 'good guy pose' right back at the stage, laughing loudly with the pose.

There was not a person there who had not seen this coming.

* * *

It occurred to me, while looking up other ages, that Lady Tsunade was really old… And I had to do something about it. It also occurred to me, with how old all the first generation parents are, that I may have to start killing them off… Which, I really don't want to do, but just may have to.

Otherwise, I thought this went beautifully.


	50. Party Invitation

Naruto was writing his signature on yet another paper as he held his son close to his chest, the large grin not quite gone from his grin from when he had been chosen as hokage three days ago.

There was something really exciting about seeing his name on an important document. It was almost too much when a shinobi came through his doors and asked _him_ a question he could answer.

It was just wonderful.

Though he had signed hundreds of these papers already, as well as settled a large number of disputes as well.

He wrote out the next letter, determined for it to be special as his grin grew large enough to swallow his own face. Once he was done writing the personal invitation with chicken scratch penmanship, he signed it as he had done so many other letters.

He put it in an envelope, shut it, then laid it on top of his 'To Go' folder.

Excitement had been keeping him up at a high for over 37 hours, and was beginning to cave back on him.

With a yawn, he turned sparkling blue eyes on his two advisors, one on each side of him.

"We're in the Hokage's office."

Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Neji looked away.

"We know."

They chorused, which did not discourage the blonde.

"_I'm_ the hokage!"

"We know."

Naruto hugged his mini teme bastard to his chest, making the small boy squirm for a moment in discomfort, then calm as he cuddled deeper into the red and white robe of his mother.

"Better believe it you know!"

He looked so happy, it appeared as if he would begin squealing with the joy of it all.

Fortunately, his happiness was contagious. Within a moment, Shikamaru leaned forward slightly, a half smile on his face as he closed his eyes in contentment. Neji smirked openly, arms folded over his chest in his usual Hyuuga way.

Standing guard at the door, Sasuke's usually hard eyes were soft on his uke lover, basking in the joy the blonde felt. Naruto met eyes with his teme bastard from his desk, his grin showing off almost every white tooth in his mouth in a Naruto way, his eyes becoming sealed shut with it.

"Hey, teme bastard! I'm your kage now! How do you like that!"

Sasuke smirked at the triumph he could clearly make out on his lover's face.

"It turns me on, actually."

Naruto choked, face going red as he looked from his silent two year old to his Uchiha husband, then swinging his head wildly from side to side to stare with horror at Shikamaru and Neji, who were snickering.

"Not in front of Kosuke, your bastards!"

Shikamaru tapped a finger to the envelope on top of the mission reports on the desk.

"Why did you have to send a personal invitation to the Sabaku's to your party this week?"

"'Cause! He's one of my bust buds!"

Naruto said stubbornly, not witnessing the scowl that crossed his son's face at the mentioned name. Neji leaned forward to explain it in greater detail to the hokage.

"He knows that. He just doesn't understand why you couldn't just ask them to stay until the party, seeing as it took them three days to get here, and will take them three days to get here. They'll arrive the same day as your party, if not a day later."

Shikamaru sighed.

"I have to have someone do commentary for me, how troublesome."

Meanwhile, Naruto was having a moment where he realized he had just made a stupid mistake.

"Why didn't you guys tell me that earlier?!"

They shrugged and Sasuke shook his head. Naruto leaned back in his chair with the first scowl he had experienced since being appointed kage on his face.

"They better get here fast, better believe it!"

Neji sighed, Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, and Sasuke's mouth twitched with dry amusement.

"I doubt they'd miss it for the world."

Naruto scowled, sifting through a drawer on the desk for something. He pulled the object out with a victorious grin.

"Just in case."

Everyone groaned, both at his stupidity, and his innocence. Even Kosuke shared the sound of exasperation with them.

* * *

Gaara had given up attempting to write the report before him as he leaned back in his seat, his mouth gaping open ever so slightly as his one hand wondered beneath the desk.

Sweat was beginning to bathe his skin as he shuddered again, his teeth gritting together as his eyes clenched shut for one moment. Then he opened them again, almost entirely glazed over with pleasure and heated irritation.

It all suddenly stopped when footsteps pounded down the hall towards his office, signaling for him to put an act up.

A chuunin charged through the door, his mouth wide open, as were his eyes, as he charged towards the desk before the large window that was unusually closed.

Luckily, he saw nothing else different with the scene before him: An empty surface, aside from one half finished report, before a Kazekage, who was composed as ever, who was watching him calmly.

"What is it?"

That gave the chuunin pause, startled by the rasping tone of the man. Then he went on.

"Kazekage! We have an important message here from Konoha! It's marked by the hokage himself as important!"

He was so busy untying the important document from his vest, he missed the redhead roll his eyes into the back of his head momentarily and grit his teeth. By the time the young man turned back around, Gaara appeared no different from before.

The chuunin came forward, taking careful notice of his kage's flinch as he stood directly before the desk. He set the important document on the desk, which pacifically stated 'Important Classified Mail'.

Which must mean it was really important.

Gaara looked from it, to the chuunin that was looking down at him wit concern.

"Is this all?"

Again, the chuunin was startled by the rasping of the other's voice.

"Sir, are you okay?"

Gaara nodded, then gestured for the man to leave. The chuunin remained stubborn, believing something was terribly wrong with their leader.

"Are you sure? If not, I can summon a healing nin-"

"Your concern is duly noted. You may leave… _Now_."

The chuunin fled like a bat out of hell, never having heard the kage growl before.

Gaara's sand slammed the door shut behind the hasty man, then he leaned back against the chair, finally releasing a long needed sigh as his hands tangled anew into the mop of black hair underneath the table.

Lee, mortification coloring his face red, was also looking awed by what he had just did.

He had just given his husband a blow job… While someone else was in the room.

That had been so… Different. So very… Mind blowing!

His blush increased as he wiped at the essence that had splattered over his face, his obsidian eyes meeting his husband's shyly.

Gaara nodded, stroking the man's raven black hair as he pushed his chair back so Lee could come out from underneath his desk.

"Thank you, Lee."

Lee smiled sheepishly.

"You were very stressed, Gaara- love. I wanted to do whatever was needed to help you relax!"

Just barely noticeable, Gaara's lip twitched up for a small second.

"You've seem stressed as well. Tonight, I'll return the favor."

Lee's blush increased. His eyes shot around, embarrassed, but pleased. His eyes landed on the manila folder on Gaara's desk. He cocked his head curiously as he studied the handwriting on the front.

"Whatever it is, it appears that Naruto-kun himself wrote it… It must be an extremely important document!"

Gaara leaned up slightly to tuck his member back into his pants, than flapped his kage robe back over himself.

"Or extremely stupid."

Lee, clearly offended, twisted his head back around to Gaara.

"Gaara! How can you say such a thing about our most youthful friend? Who, his whole life, has been determined in this one goal!?"

"Who, though great of heart, is not so bright?"

Lee pouted, putting his hands on his knees as he glared up at his lover.

"Then open the message up so we may see who is right!"

Obediently, Gaara took the folder off of his desk and opened it. Lee leaned over his shoulder to read the message along side him. For some few moments, they read it together. Then, Lee's face showed utter disappointment as he leaned back down, looking defeated.

"He labeled a message as Important Classified… Yet, it is only a party invitation…"

Tears began to form in his eyes, which Gaara wiped away as he sighed in the disappointment he, himself, felt.

"I expected this…"

He stood up, grabbing Lee gently to pull up with him.

"We'll have to leave today after we're prepared."

* * *

For my 50th chapter, I just gave you a blowjob and a party invitation! Of course, both of them, I discussed with ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart.


	51. This Can Not Be Happening

_There was something I forgot to mention. So, before I get on with the next chapter, I have to put in a filler. Sorry, but it's considered important for this chapter._

* * *

_Minamaru woke up very slowly, hardly aware of his surroundings for nearly a solid moment, then his eyes slid open as something cold and heavy touched his skin._

_He blinked._

_Once…_

_Twice…_

_Then realized what it was that was hugging both of his wrists. Squinting his eyes with sleep, his heavy eyelids already falling back down, he looked up to his wide awake lover._

_"__Why are there cuffs on my hands?"_

_"__Because,"_

_Kanaye began, sounding as if they were discussing nothing more than the weather instead of the thick braces on both of Minamaru's wrists that spanned entirely over the bone. Turning them around, Minamaru found a lock on both of them._

_No key in sight._

_"__You're mine. This will show anyone who asks that you belong to another until we marry."_

_Minamaru wasn't so surprised by not having a say in it, seeing as how he had already told Kanaye he'd slice him into tiny pieces while he was awake and aware if the redhead didn't. _

_"__Oh… Well, I accept your wedding proposal!"_

_As if he had a choice… Which, Kanaye's quirked eyebrow suggested otherwise._

_He blinked, then took a moment to open his eyes again to stare blankly down at the cuffs. They were colored a coal black, much like Kanaye's sand, as well as having a somewhat grainy texture._

_"__What's it made of?"_

_"__My sand, as well as more dense substances found in soil and other earth material."_

_Kanaye grabbed one of Minamaru's hands to look down at his handy work._

_"__They're unbreakable… Unless I die. Then they'll fall away."_

_Which made Minamaru hit Kanaye in the shoulder, brutally enough that the redhead frowned at him._

_"__Then these babies better never break, or I will hunt you down and make your death life a living hell. Okay?"_

_He said the last word in a sing song voice, then cuddled into the redhead's built chest, happily enveloping the older boy in his long arms. _

_"__You smell so smexy!"_

_

* * *

_

_'Kanaye, you butt, where are you?'_

Again, Minamaru rubbed at one wrist cuff, grimacing down at the boy on his one knee before him, a diamond ring set in a circle of amethyst held up for the boy's consideration.

He was going to kill Aya for running off throughout the halls. Had she just stayed still, he wouldn't have had to go looking for her to ask her to go with them to their usual private place.

Had she not gone missing after turning another corner, Minamaru wouldn't have ran into Hito.

Who had then dragged him into an entirely different room than the ballroom the 'family' was gathered in. This one was full of higher powers. He could tell because none of them were loud, wearing casual clothes, or doing anything else that would classify them as middle class citizens.

He was starting to really not like them, even if he didn't know any of them. They all looked so expecting, as if he should have shouted 'yes!' the moment Hito had dropped to one knee and asked him to marry him. He hardly knew him! He loved Kanaye!

_'Why wouldn't they stop staring?!'_

"Umm…"

Hito smiled smugly, as if he knew exactly what he was railroading the younger boy to do.

"It's a simple question, Minamaru."

He rose the ring higher, subtly putting it closer to Minamaru's left hand.

"Will you marry me?"

_'__I'm engaged to Kanaye!'_

_'__You're mean to all of my friends!'_

_'__I don't want to marry you!'_

_'__Why can't we just be friends?'_

_'__Why are all of these people here!?'_

_'__STOP STARING AT ME!'_

_"Umm… Uh…"_

_'__Someone, stop this!'_

"I… I… Umm…"

Minamaru was becoming scared. He could say one of two things at any moment out of nervousness.

One: Yes

Or, Two: Rain check!

He just wanted to say no, then go find Aya and choke her to death. Except, everyone was looking at him with disgust now.

Apparently, they could not believe that he wasn't saying anything… The rest could possibly be disgusted because he was a boy.

He wished that had stopped Hito from doing this… Clearly, it hadn't, though.

It was only Minamaru making a fool of himself in this room of bigheads, himself an adopted son of the Kazekage. As important as Kage's were, he wasn't even truly related to his raccoon daddy!

He rubbed harder at the wrist cuffs, a silly hope in the back of his mind believing that it could magically summon the redhead to him. Kanaye would not be afraid at all to tell any of these people how he felt for them.

Hito, by this time, was looking more and more confident. It made Minamaru angry, as well as somewhat overpowered. Had they been with the 'family', Hito would have never been able to do this.

Which may be why the Hyuuga had acted friendly for once and coerced him into this room… He should have known something was wrong with that scenario.

With a sudden loud 'bang!', the door slammed open and hit the opposite wall.

"RAINBOWS! WE'RE HERE FOR YOU!"

He would have laughed if he had had the nerves too. Instead, he watched blankly as Aya and Oki charged into the room, startling and shocking everyone with their forceful entry, and then dashed to his side.

Hito could only stare with mouth gaping wide with everyone else as the comical scene, which is sad for him. It was a wonderfully successful distraction method.

As if the glass nin weighed nothing, Aya picked him up, and threw him over her shoulder, despite his being a solid inch taller, then ran back out of the room with him in a fireman carry hold.

It was as they were half way down the hall that someone in the elegant ballroom finally realized what had just happened, and ran cursing out of the door after them.

Unfortunately, that was Hito, who stopped right outside the door as he was held back by his father with only the gentlest of touches to his shoulder.

Hito looked over his shoulder at the older Hyuuga, and then looked away with a growl. Neither his father, nor his father's cousin had liked the drama he had just created. Looking back into the room, he saw his mother nibbling at her bottom lip, only meeting his eyes momentarily, before they shot back down.

Everyone else was furious with the 'wild girl' with the 'rabid dog' who had taken the 'fag', then with Hito.

After all, he was most likely the next Hyuuga leader.

* * *

Minamaru, after being carried down a number of uncountable halls, finally blinked. As he began to squirm for freedom, Aya let him down, scowling at him the whole time.

"You're heavier than you look. I was just about to let you drop, rainbow."

Then she was the one to blink in shock, crossing her eyes to try and look down her nose at the multi colored hair of the boy as he jumped her, holding her in a fierce hug. Cautiously, she began to pat his back, looking confusedly to Oki, who only whined in question.

After a moment of being tightly held, she was released and was thrust backwards.

"Hey! What was that for!?"

She sat back up, growling up at Minamaru as he stood. He calmly dusted off his shirt, sticking his nose in the air.

"That was for making me run into him in the first place."

She shot up an eyebrow as she slid back to her feet in a fluid movement, her growl turning into a smirk.

"Yep, totally my fault you walked into that room with him. I mean, you must have fought him the whole way, but I kept shoving you back. What a horrid friend I am."

"Oh, shut up!"

She snickered, turning away from the upset flushed boy as she continued down the hall.

"Yeah, it's pretty sad when the original victim has to go save the new victim from a situation they could have easily avoided. I was sent after you, because we're all set up to have a camp out."

"It's pretty when the original victim has to go save the new- oh, would you just stop?"

Minamaru mocked as he rushed ahead of her. He didn't see Aya's new smirk as he did so.

As they approached the gang, with a new member, Hitori, who Jun had thought it would be kind to invite, which had been seconded by Minamaru, then approved by Kanaye, and just accepted by Aya, Samaie, and Oki.

Aya walked right up to Kanaye, who was looking questioningly at his flushed lover, and smiled widely. She ignored completely Minamaru's look of horror.

"Guess what Hito just did!"

They never made it to their private space. As a matter of fact, they, instead, camped out in the interrogation rooms, which were the most secure rooms they had been able to find for the time after Kanaye had knocked down a wall when the bruised and slightly bleeding Hito had been placed in a room with an ashamed Minamaru.

Aya and Oki, with only three interrogation rooms, and one adult they didn't trust around the rest (Hito, for his own safety, of course), were placed with Hito and Samaie, while Jun went with Minamaru and Kanaye.

Both the Kazekage and the hokage paid for the damages done to the main building and the prison.

* * *

Yes, the idea was ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart's. I only tweaked it a bit. Heh heh heh heh heh…

I love it when they destroy things.


	52. The Talk

"Sasuke-san, what are you doing out here while your youthful husband is within, unprotected?"

Lee moved to the side of the raven haired man sitting on the rooftop of the hokage headquarters, the pale man's eyes directed at the waning gibbus above him. Lee followed his gaze, then smiled softly as he plunked down next to the younger man.

"Ah, yes! The moon is extremely bright tonight, is it no?"

He closed one eye, tilting his head as he held a hand out before him, clenching it gently when it was fully extended. Sasuke looked at him out of the corner of his eyes plainly.

"What are you doing?"

Lee smiled brightly.

"I am holding the moon! It appears so close, I just could not stop myself from attempting to!"

Sasuke scowled.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Sasuke blinked, then looked back to the bright incomplete disk.

That was a good comeback.

There was a companionable silence, then Lee tilted his head to look at the Uchiha out of the corner of his eye.

"I have noticed you have seemed upset since Naruto-kun's party when we were last here."

The pale man smirked humorlessly.

"How would you know I've been upset for a month if you weren't even hear?"

Lee waved a finger before the Uchiha's eyes.

"Tut tut tut! Ask no questions, I shall tell no lies!"

Then Lee leaned away, giving the scowling man his personal space back.

"Truly, what has been blocking your youthful energy from flowing?"

For long minutes, Sasuke didn't answer, and Lee didn't press any further. If the Uchiha wanted to tell him, he would. If he didn't, then Lee would use force. But he wished to give the proud man a little more time before making that decision for him.

"… He's forgetting about us…"

Lee quirked his head, raising his eyebrows questionably at Sasuke's statement. He didn't say anything, which possibly made Sasuke more comfortable to continue speaking.

"At first, we were foremost. I will be the first to admit, I'm protective of him… But this is stupid. He's become so wrapped up in being hokage, he didn't even stop to hold Kosuke today."

His hands clenched against his knees, anger becoming clear on his face.

"We matter as much to him as empty space. Damn it, the dobe's my wife. Within 30 days, he was Konoha's wife. I feel like a house wife…"

Lee listened on with unassuming silence, calm clearly on his face, coercing the raven haired boy to continue to fume… Which, he did.

"Kosuke can't even stand my touch. I caught him trying to follow the dobe to work, not that he noticed. He was working on another mission report."

Sasuke gritted his teeth tightly, his face morphing with rage.

"We were nothing but a fill in for him till he got what he's always wanted. He doesn't even acknowledge me anymore until he walks back into our house. Then he acts as if nothing happened."

Lee was concerned, but didn't show it, allowing the raven haired man to get it all off of his chest.

"… It was our anniversary yesterday. I had already had Kosuke at a babysitter's, and he had said that he'd take the day off…"

He snorted humorlessly.

"He didn't. I ended up staying home alone for nearly 10 hours waiting for him to come back."

Lee waited for the other to continue. When he didn't, he allowed himself to frown thoughtfully.

"Have you tried to tell Naruto-kun this? It is not at all youthful to leave one's family feeling neglected…"

He found it difficult to believe that the blonde would do such a thing when he was the same blonde that had hunted down a teammate for a number of years, brought in a hokage, saved Gaara, and done dozens of other things that had saved either the shinobi world, or just one person, time and time again.

Yet… If Sasuke-san was this upset… Then there was no other choice but for it to be true…

Sasuke shook his head.

"The dobe has been wanting this his whole life… He… deserves it…"

"He would not want it if it costs him his greatest treasures."

Lee leaned over, gently drifting his lips over Sasuke's forehead as he pulled the slightly younger man into a comforting hug. Sasuke, for one long moment, was confused, and ready to shove the spandex clad man away, but could not bring himself to do it.

"I know for a fact that, if you asked, Naruto-kun would drop his position as if it were on fire! He loves you two as dearly as the earth loves the moon!"

He squeezed gently.

"You must tell your youthful husband to slow down, Sasuke-san, that is all. He is being carried away by what he thinks he can do for this great city of Konoha! You must remind him that he has you and Kosuke-san to love as well."

Then he giggled.

"It could also be that both you and your fiery willed son act so independent, even with Kosuke-san only being two years old, that he does not feel needed by you both."

Sasuke thought about that for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He could see that happening; Naruto believing that they didn't need him anymore. Then he wandered to a more important question.

"Why are you holding me?"

Lee smiled widely.

"Because it looked as if you needed a hug, Sasuke-san!"

"Why did you kiss my forehead?"

"Because it looked as if you needed a mother, if only for a moment, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke finally shoved Lee away from him, sitting stiffly up as his face went stony.

"I have a mother."

From where Lee had fallen, he smiled knowingly, then sat up again. Folding his legs Indian style, he put his hands on his knees.

"I know. I would hope not to replace your mother, Sasuke-san."

He closed his eyes as he smiled a little bit wider.

"It is just that I was doing what I know for certain she wished she can do for you when you are upset!"

Sasuke stared at him for a minute, then went back to the moon.

"No wonder the dobe thinks of you as one of his closest friends."

Lee's eyes lit up with joy, becoming teary eyed.

"He does!?"

Sasuke nodded, then ignored the black haired boy as he began gushing and crying over the wonderful news. When Lee calmed down, Sasuke looked back to him.

"You make a good mother."

This time, Lee looked surprised, then began softly crying. He didn't gush, nor did he squeal as usual, he just stared up at the moon, his eyes wide and tears slipping from them. After a few minutes, he managed to softly smile, pure happiness and contentment swimming in his eyes.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san… There is no question in my mind of why Naruto-kun chose you as a loving, devoted husband to spend his springtime of youth with."

The companionable silence returned, leaving the two men quiet for another two hours as the meeting beneath them continued between their two husbands.

On a rooftop some dozen yards away, a figure put a very incriminating photo into a manila folder, then closed it, smug delight in the being's eyes as they gazed upon the two lounging men.

They had no idea what just started.

* * *

No, Lee will never cheat on Gaara. No, Sasuke will never cheat on Naruto. Yes, I even feel like I'm insinuating that. No, Lee was just being motherly, because it was this scene stuck in my head, inspired by this SasuNaru fic that I once read that was 88 chapters focused around the coupling of those two.

In my head, this went way better… I feel as if I failed… Bugger it!


	53. Incrimination

"Gaara… I am so, so sorry…"

Matsuri wasn't as sorry as she wished she sounded.

Still a chuunin, having taken the exams a total of five times to this day, she had not grown out of her crush for the stoic redhead Kazekage.

When the kage had, not only chosen a man, but a man that he had once tried to kill, over her, there had been a steep spiral down into depression for her. She had tried to ignore the pain, as well as had tried to become stronger by staying away and learning from different sensei's, but she hadn't. She was as weak as she had ever been, unable to catch the redhead's attention in any other way but a connection formed between sensei and student.

She hated it to the point she had a picture of the whoring bastard that had taken her love from her in her closet, kunais and other varying weapons sticking out of the portrait.

Hours before she had gone seeking out her love, a man had handed her a folder, and had told her to deliver it to the Kazekage. They had assured her, through her weariness and uncertainty, that she would like what it was. The man had even assured her that she could look if she wanted to.

She had, and she had been almost unable to believe what she was holding.

The kage didn't answer her, staring downward at the picture he held loosely between his fingers.

In his hands, he held the perfect way to break apart that damned marriage. Maybe… If he realized it was a huge mistake… He could move on with her, as well…

That would be lovely. Maybe he would make that whoring bastard take his freak children with him? Then they could have their own children…

She hardly realized the blush beginning to form on her cheeks as the redhead continued to remain unmovable.

"Who did you get this from?"

Matsuri startled at the redhead's harsh tone, forced out of her daydream of having their little children running about. Her hands began to sweat as she thought of a credible lie.

What if the picture was a fake? She didn't want to learn that the picture she had just placed her career and love on was a Photoshop.

"I- I don't know…"

Which was true, she didn't know who the man had been. She had never before seen him.

"What did the person look like who gave this to you?"

"I- I don't know!"

Again, true, the man had been wearing a hood over his face.

"Height, weight, width? You can't even give me the dimensions of this person?"

She began to subtly tremble with the cold, murderous tone of her kage, suddenly not finding this such a great idea. But she had to carry it through. If he couldn't find it as a fake, then he would take that whore out of his life and let her in!

"N-nothing! I-it was dark!"

That one was a lie. It had been early morning, true, but hardly dark.

"So, you got this last night and couldn't report it? Where did you get it?"

She couldn't think of a way to answer either question, so she just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"You can't remember anything about where, who, or when you got this picture. But you still thought it was important to bring it to me?"

He stood up abruptly, making Matsuri step back one in fear. Danger was weaving it's way around the room, radiating from the redhead. For the life of her, she couldn't bring herself to look up at the kage.

"You brought me proof of my husband's infidelity, but you couldn't tell me anything about the person who gave you this? You openly admit to not being the one to take this picture?"

She nodded on both accounts, her face directed to the ground.

"Get out."

Her heart stopped, then broke in her chest. Finally, she tilted her head up to look at her love. He stared at her with a stony expression of rage, his eyes being the only true thing that showed every bit of betrayal and fury that he felt as well as the whipping chakra.

"Get _out_."

Behind her, the door slammed open against the door jam, making her jump slightly, before she scurried hurriedly out of it, tears leaking out of her eyes.

As she fled, the chakra that had been radiating from the redhead began to pulse, clinging sand to it as if it were static. Within seconds, not one person who had immediately been alerted could get through to their kage.

He had sealed himself within his office.

* * *

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

Koi's childish voice broke through the sudden haze that had enveloped the three men. Lee blinked, looking down from the west to gaze down at his three year old daughter. He smiled comfortingly, though he didn't feel it.

"There is nothing wrong, my most youthful rose! Here, go play with our beautiful firefly and our fiery lotus!"

With that, he stood, allowing his daughter to slide off of his lap and run to her brother's sides. Both boys were looking to each other, concern and worry apparent on Minamaru's face, while Kanaye looked tense.

Lee turned towards the Kazekage headquarters, waving one over his shoulder to, hopefully, assuage his daughter that everything was alright.

"I shall be back!"

With that, he ran with the speed only a beautiful green beast could have, his comforting smile immediately slipping away to replaced by fear and apprehension.

He had never before felt his husband release such a large amount of chakra before, especially with such a distance.

Seconds later, he was running up the wall that the Kage's office's window was located, his eyes focused determinedly on the bulging sand coming from the open way that kept out the shinobi that were trying to get through that way.

He grabbed onto the ledge, looking from one shinobi to another for explanation.

"We don't know what happened. Matsuri came in, showed him something, and then he forced her out and sealed himself in."

"What did she show him?"

Lee asked innocently, turning to the mask wearing man that had answered his unvoiced question.

"We don't know. She won't tell us, and we can't get in there to find out. All we know is that she wanted to show him something."

The mask wearing man on his other side snorted.

"Yeah, she showed him something. It must have been one hell of something if our leader's sealed all of us out."

Lee nodded, agreeing with the other ANBU.

"I shall try to enter. Maybe he will allow me through."

Both of them moved aside, gesturing for him to give it a try, though the second ANBU voiced his doubt about it.

"I doubt it, he didn't even let his sister and brother in. They're around front at the door. We got word from Lady Temari that she plans on blowing through- Lord Lee!"

They both grabbed for the nin too late, watching with masked surprise as the man was snapped at by the sand and dragged simultaneously inward.

Apparently, he had been the one their kage had been waiting for.

They sent word to Lady Temari to hold, hoping their kage's 'wife' could calm the redhead down.

* * *

Lee landed in the pitch black office with a bitten back scream, clenching his teeth together as he clutched at his right arm and tried to kick his right leg.

What had once been ghost pain in the once destroyed limbs, was now real… made again so by the same sand that had caused it the first time.

He looked down at the two limbs with pain filled eyes, breathing deeply to clear the dark spots in his eyes away. When he managed to twitch his right foot, if with more pain than there should have been, he realized that they weren't shattered, such as the first time.

Only broken as a terrible reminder.

Which meant that…

Either Gaara was furious with him, or unable to control himself.

Both would be very bad conditions for Lee to be near his husband… Though that wouldn't have stopped him had he known before coming.

"You don't deserve to be better."

Lee's head snapped to the side at the bitter voice. He squinted his eyes, attempting to see through the solid darkness, but unable too.

"You're just like everyone else in my life. Couldn't wait to stab me in the back."

He shuddered at the mocking amusement in his redhead's voice, trying to blink his eyes into focus.

Before, he could have sworn Gaara's voice was coming from his left. Just then, it had sounded as if the redhead was to his far left.

"Did he make you feel good? Did he make you scream like I did?"

That time, the mocking voice whispered over his face, as if Gaara was kneeling over him.

"Devotion, commitment, _love_… You were all so quick to try and get me to believe in myths, weren't you?"

The mocking tone breathed right over his lips, yet, no matter how much he squinted or widened his eyes, he could not see a thing.

"Why can't people stop lying to me?!"

Suddenly, the voice was further away, possibly somewhere down by his feet and a distance over.

Despite his pain, he forced himself to sit up, but was immediately slammed back down to the ground, a serpentine hiss sounding that was all too familiar.

He was being held down by sand… This time, it could very well kill him.

Not that he could bring himself to be afraid for his own well being. Now, he was only worried about his lover.

"Gaara, please tell me what happened."

His whispered plea was met by a cold, low pitched laugh, that was too reminiscent of the one Lee had heard facing off with the redhead in the chuunin exams, answered his question.

Which left him nowhere.

"As if you don't know."

Which was bringing him somewhere.

"I do not know, Gaara-love."

"_Don't call me that!_"

Lee bit down on his lip, causing the tender flesh to bleed, as the sand tightened unexpectedly around his broken bones.

"You don't love me. If you did, you wouldn't have betrayed me! You broke your promise, you promised that you would never betray me!"

Lee took a deep, calming breath.

"I have never betrayed you, Gaara."

"_Liar!_"

* * *

From where Minamaru and Kanaye were distracting themselves, as well as Koi, as they waited for news, both Kanaye and Minamaru went deathly still, they eyes focused forward as a barely there sound reached them.

Kanaye stood from the bench, passing the girl that had been bouncing on his knee to his lover.

"Arune, take Koi into the house."

"Hey, he's my mommy too! I need to go make sure he's alright-"

"There is nothing that would help him more, than knowing that Koi is safe."

They held eyes for a long moment, then Minamaru nodded. He hated to acknowledge it, but Kanaye was right.

He hadn't been the one to promise raccoon daddy that he would kill him if it was ever for mommy's own good.

Judging by that scream, mommy needed that promise right now.

* * *

Temari, Kankuro, and anyone else that could be recruited, were beating at the sand walls that refused them passage.

Whatever Gaara was doing with Lee in there, it was not calming down.

Suddenly, black grains began to weave into the golden ones that danced and thickened before their eyes. Both sand siblings turned to their nephew with little hope in their eyes, but some fire still burning through to get to the man they had allowed into their family.

Kanaye ignored their looks, his own set into one of rage.

Hadn't they made a promise a long time ago? Neither of them were to hurt chichi.

Or they would die.

* * *

Lee bit down on the flesh on the inside of his cheek, unable to stop the tears that flowed down his face, no matter how hard he tried.

His body was trembling from shock, a total of three limps, five ribs, and one hand broken. That did not account for the wounds bleeding, or the bruises.

One eye was sealed shut as he looked up to the silhouette he was finally able to make out, his one obsidian eye pained with more than just physical injury, but a breaking heart.

He had yet to know how he had offended his husband, but the words that had been constantly repeated were 'betrayed', as well as 'him', used in the context of Lee sleeping with another male.

Gaara thought he had cheated on him at one point. That was what made the tears fall and his chest shudder with each breath.

Whatever Matsuri had shown the redhead, it had been enough to convince his lover that he would willingly crawl into another's bed. Despite having his own redhead devil that loved to make love to him, as well as three children, and dozens of family members, Gaara believed that he would betray him.

All for another man to sleep in his bed.

It made him angry, and desperate in the same breath.

"You honestly believe that I would betray you… for another man?"

Just barely, the glimmer of teeth showed through the pressing darkness as he looked directly up towards his lover.

"Not just any man, darling, but the very one that once defeated me."

He saw the silhouette come lower, then felt his husband's breath over his face.

"Is It power that attracts you? For some reason, you couldn't get Naruto, possibly because he's another bottom, so you went for his husband? He was powerful enough to kill Orochimaru, defeat me, _and_ Naruto. It must have been so exciting for you."

Lee gritted his teeth, this time in anger, as his one eye narrowed dangerously up at his lover.

"You believe that I would betray both you, and Naruto-kun? Not only are you accusing me of adultery, but of committing it with another married man? Fine then!"

He arched his body up as far as the sand bonds would allow him, feeling them coil more tightly around him in warning, making another rib creak dangerously. The glimmer of teeth above him disappeared. He swore he could feel the other scowling in confusion.

"I refuse to live knowing that I have betrayed two of my most precious people. So, go ahead, Gaara! End my traitorous life! Clearly, you do not know me as well as I had once thought! I could have sworn you knew that I was forever loyal to you! That I would never bring such harm upon my most special people!"

His fury reached it's peak, giving him just enough momentum and strength to break one hand free from the sand and grab the collar of his lover's robe, pulling him down till Lee was finally able to see Gaara's pinpoint pupils staring down at him.

"Kill me! If that is what you truly believe!"

He didn't question why the sand didn't immediately grab his hand, he just allowed the limb to fall back onto the suddenly still sand, staring up at his lover with accepting eyes.

"I have only one request, if there is any mercy you feel for me; Do not take out any punishment on our children for my supposed adultery."

The position was held for two minutes, close enough to each other that Lee could see a war being waged in his lover's eyes.

In those two minutes, a thousand things that he had yet to do, had always wished to do, speeded through the Jounin's mind. Unsurprisingly, one of them was still having his 50th anniversary with his husband…

But that did not seem as if it would happen, did it?

Something wet fell onto his face, making him blink in surprise.

Haltingly, he lifted his yet to be captured arm up, touching it against the wetness of his own cheek, then following it up to his lover's. It took another moment of squinting through one blurry eye to realize what it was.

Gaara was crying.

The redhead collapsed onto his knees, his face falling onto Lee's chest as he clutched at his head. Lee stared up at the ceiling, something like relief breathing through his system, but countered by concern.

He could not stop himself from flinching as he felt his lover's hand drift down his broken arm, then relaxed somewhat into the touch as a numb relief followed after it. The sensation spread throughout his body, casting a green haze over his eyes as he continued to stare at the ceiling he couldn't even see with confusion.

Hardly moments later, he opened his other eye, only a yellowing bruise around it, and took a deep breath through his bruised ribs. His leg twitched with minimal pain.

"I knew that… As I was staring at the picture… That it wasn't possible… Even if it had been, you would have told me… You're loyal like a dog, you wouldn't have done such a thing…"

Lee's upper body was lifted onto Gaara's lap, who stroked his fingers through his loose black hair. Against his scalp, Lee could feel his lover's fingers tremble. He remained silent.

"But it had already happened to often… Sasuke… is a much better sire than I am… It wouldn't have surprised me if anyone turned from me to him… He's strong, a team leader, brave… He's loyal to a cause… Even with his own betrayal, he didn't kill as many people as I did as a child."

Lee stared up as Gaara put their foreheads together, blinking slowly with what he was learning.

"I… I can't kill you… Even without your insufferable sensei here, I can't do it. Why can't I kill you? What if you're dying, and the only way I can keep you with me is by killing you? I can't keep you to me!"

Lee, slowly, lifted a hand from the ground, then buried it into his husband's red locks. He shut his eyes tight, nuzzling his husband.

"It is alright, Gaara."

He lifted his other arm slowly, waiting to see if he felt any pain, which he didn't, and wrapped it around his husband's neck, pushing his head back to kiss the redhead's lips.

Against his mouth, he could taste the other's salt tears. Ever so slowly, his redhead devil responded to the kiss, yet not taking the lead as usual.

They broke apart after a moment, their lips parting slowly. Lee stared up at Gaara as the redhead looked to the side, then reached upward again, pressing his lips anew against the other's.

"I forgive you, Gaara. I do not want anyone else."

He whispered against his lover's mouth, his eyes closed even as Gaara looked down at him, watching his lover love him, even after what he had just done.

"You shouldn't forgive me. I could end you in a second."

He pressed forward for the smallest of a second, his eyes whispering shut, before they opened to half mast as he moved away from his husband's lips.

"You should want anyone else in the world. They won't be a threat on your life every moment of the day."

Lee found himself smiling, a testimony to the questionable state of his mentality. His husband had just nearly killed him… Had crippled him just a moment ago…

Yet, there was no rage in him. He was altogether calm, if not somewhat happy. They had just uprooted an insecurity of Gaara's. Despite how it had been uprooted, it was lovely news.

"Why would I want anyone else? You are the only one that has ever touched my body. You are my first husband, my one and only lover. You have guarded my life with your own, placed me deeply into your heart where I can not be ripped away. You sired my children, and then guarded them with equal fierceness."

He rained butterfly kisses over whatever he could reach of his husband's face, his eyes softly closed as his body began to relax more fully into the body that had claimed it time and time again. Gaara remained to hold his eyes open, watching his lover with an unreadable expression of denial.

He had been forgiven twice over already for nearly killing this creature… Was Lee truly insane for forgiving him a third time?

He had to be, Gaara concluded as his eyes slid shut, a shudder running down his spine as felt Lee pet his hair as he continued kissing his face.

"I can not think of a reason not to forgive you. You are my most special person! If you were the one to end my life… then I would be content. Then I would always be with you, always there to comfort you. I only ask… that you do not do it out of anger again."

He laughed softly against Gaara's lips, rubbing his fingers over a soft strand of red hair.

"I do love you dearly, Gaara, but I wish to die knowing you did not despise me."

Gaara turned his face, nuzzling his nose over Lee's as he breathed softly through barely opened lips.

Lee leaned up again, pressing his lips solidly against Gaara's snaking his tongue into the other's mouth where he attempted to rouse Gaara's tongue. Right as Lee began to lose his breath, Gaara's tongue slid against his, leaning forward into his mouth as Lee began his retreat. Lee took a brief breath, then began a tongue war with his husband, a battle that was won when he forfeited in favor of sitting up. Gaara's hand on his shoulders assisted him, then Lee turned around to face the redhead, both of his legs sore, but sitting partially on them anyway.

He smiled as he looked into Gaara's eyes in the thick darkness.

He reached out, cupping the back of Gaara's neck, and was then dragged forward into a kiss as the redhead grabbed him by his shoulders. He whimpered against the skilled lips, allowing himself to be maneuvered onto Gaara's lap as the redhead's hands began to dig into him.

"Why are you mine?"

There was a desperate tone to Gaara's voice as he broke apart from Lee's lips for a small second, then went back into it, his hands surprisingly loose on Lee's hips. As they broke apart again, Lee smiled victoriously.

"Because you claimed me as so, remember?"

He leaned back, undressing himself of the green spandex all the while on Gaara's lap on the ground. He brushed his fingers tantalizingly over his right arm, ignoring the soreness of it from having been broken then repaired a moment ago. The spandex down at his hips, he wrapped his arms around Gaara's neck, holding the redhead to him.

"You left a part of you inside of me all that time ago. Do you not remember telling me that, you had already marked me so no other could have me? You told me after you told our red lotus how strongly you felt for me."

He leaned forward, nibbling teasingly at Gaara's earlobe, making the redhead shudder anew.

"I do not feel like moving, Gaara-love. Yet, my body has a need for you after just nearly losing you. Is there anything you can think of to solve this unyouthful situation?"

Gaara stared into his lover's bright eyes, and closed his own for a moment. He drifted his hands from Lee's hips to his spine, then wrapped them around him to hold his lover as close as possible to him.

He dragged in a deep breath, tangling one hand gently into his lover's waist length disheveled braid.

"I can…"

Just because he felt uncertain, like the child he had once been who didn't understand why his family hated him, he buried his face into the junction of his lover's shoulder.

"Only if you want me to…"

Lee planted a kiss in his redhead devil's hair.

"I do…"

Kanaye was not only frustrated, he was pissed.

They had been at the barrier for nearly a hour, but nothing was happening. Even countering his father's sand with his own was doing nothing.

Never before had he felt so powerless, especially with Minamaru by his side, assisting him.

Kankuro had gone to watch over Koi, unable to find a sufficient way to help, and had sent Minamaru over. He had arrived somewhere around 17 minutes ago, and had immediately began working on the barrier with his glass, trying to break it apart. As of yet, both of their attempts remained unsuccessful.

They were entirely powerless, and no one had any idea what to do next. Everything from taijutsu to nin jutsu had been used, all of them pointless in the end.

If his chichi was alive at this point, no one was sure.

Some time ago, his father's sand had… frizzled… an uncontrollable spike of chakra had occurred, then they had nearly been able to get through…

Nearly, being the key word.

Another spike had occurred not two minutes ago, and they were working on breaking through with the aid of that unbalance. As of yet, nothing. Sand flew, but immediately regrouped.

It had been suggested to just bring in a water nin to take it down. Unfortunately, that had been voted down. No one was willing to waste the large amount of water it would take to free his chichi or his father, not with the dry spell they've been having. He almost agreed with them…

Almost, being the key word.

He needed to get his chichi out of there. He had promised that son of a bitch that he would. If he didn't save him… then what was he to account for?

It was as if everyone in the world were attempting to off his chichi lately. Possibly the same people. What better way to do damage than to get one bearing male killed by a kage? It would cause war, for certain.

"Whoa!"

Both he and Minamaru snapped around as one of the Jounin fell through the section of sand he had been attempting to drill through, the barrier just falling.

They looked to each other, then forward as the sand fell like a golden waterfall, leaving the entrance to the Kazekage office bare.

On the high back chair against the furthest wall, his father had his slit eyes focused calmly on them, bare chest with his chichi on his lap, wrapped in the Kazekage's robe. He had one hand on the knee of his chichi, holding something loosely between his fingers, which was raised high to the older redhead's chest, possibly resting against the chair. The other arm was wrapped around his chichi's shoulders to hold him to him.

Looking at the scene, Kanaye almost believed they were too late.

His chichi was so still… His eyes closed as he laid limply against his bastard of a father.

Teeth gritted, he rushed forward, ignoring Minamaru's extended hand as he slammed his hands on the desk before the older redhead.

He was about to start screaming at him, truly, he was. Hundreds of words no one would dare say in front of women or young children flew through his mind, all of them not good enough to call his father, but willing to use them anyway, when Minamaru's warm hand rested on his shoulder, gripping him gently.

"Kanaye… Mommy's alright."

The younger redhead looked from Minamaru with disbelieving eyes to his chichi. Just barely noticeable, his long haired chichi was breathing, his one hand ever so lightly holding the kage robe around him.

It didn't stop him from looking at his father with hatred.

"I know you tried to kill him. _Why _would you do something like that?"

His father stared blankly at him for a moment, then down to a picture he was holding, then back up to Kanaye.

"Because,"

He began slowly, flipping the picture over and laying it on the desk for them to look upon it.

"I need him to much to lose him."

Minamaru and Kanaye stared down at the picture with horror, the younger redhead's fists clenched while Minamaru's eyebrows drew together in distress.

From the angle the picture was taken, it looked as if his chichi was intimately embracing Sasuke Uchiha. His chichi's back was to the camera, his arms wrapped around the Uchiha as well as his face lifted, as if kissing the other male. The pale man's face couldn't be seen, but it didn't need to be.

The evidence was all too incriminating.

Kanaye breathed harshly through his clenched mouth, turning away from it to meet eyes with shocked amethyst ones to try and calm himself.

"Who took this picture?"

Minamaru asked, anger and disbelief in his tone.

"We don't know."

Gaara looked up at them from where his eyes had drifted to Lee's face, his blue green orbs depthless.

"What we do know, is that it was deliberately taken."

Silence lasted for nearly two minutes, everyone that had been assisting to breaking into the room staying out of the space, only visually inspecting the damage so they didn't intrude.

Their 'lady' appeared unharmed, as well as naked, like their kage… They saw no reason to dare to venture into the situation any further.

Minamaru had his eyes trained on the picture.

"Raccoon daddy?"

The older redhead looked to Minamaru.

"Can we trust you to not hurt mommy again?"

"No."

No pause, no reasons, no explanation. Just 'no'. It wasn't like the kage could tell the future, now was it?

Kanaye met his father's eyes.

"Can he trust you?"

By 'he', he was speaking of his chichi. Gaara kept his son's gaze.

"Yes."

He leaned forward, releasing his chichi's knee to pull the only fresh piece of paper left on the desk to him, finding the quill soon after.

"I will send you two on a conjoined mission to Konoha to discover the perpetrator. I send word ahead of you to Naruto that you two are coming to do so."

Minamaru smiled humorlessly, though his desperate eyes remained on his mommy's face, wanting to see him wake up before they left.

"You know what we're going to say like you're a mind reader, raccoon daddy."

* * *

Questionable whether I really wanted to post this, especially with such a bad end, but I did. I guess this is what suspense means. So, the loves are on their way to Konoha to find whoever it was just tried to play on Gaara's insecurities as a good lover and husband to get him to kill Lee.

I love how forgiving Lee is, or else this wouldn't have worked so quickly. I also love how Matsuri randomly got into the story… and ran like a little mouse… YAY! Matsuri bashing! Xp


	54. Wet Dream

_Opaque eyes stared teasingly at him as a pink tongue slid tantalizingly over dark pink lips. The woman was leaning on the bed, her arms holding her up, her knees pressed together, though her feet were spread as far apart as was comfortable for her._

_She was the epitome of a seductress._

_Meant only for him._

"_Are you only going to stare?"_

_She lifted one hand and outstretched it towards him, pointing at him, then turning her palm upward and curling her finger in a 'come hither' fashion._

"_I'd rather you come join me."_

_His black mesh shirt fell to the ground, followed by his dark blue pants, then his dark gray boxers._

_He watched as her eyes dilated, her eyes falling downwards to his hard member. He watched as her breasts shuddered as she began breathing faster, her mouth falling open as she whined wantonly._

_He walked to the bed, putting his hands on it as he began to stalk towards her. She smirked as she watched him, slowly crawling away from him on the bed._

_Her eyes said it all, she was teasing him._

_Yet, he took his time, stalking her slowly as she crawled backwards with just as little speed… Until she was backed up against the wall._

_She laughed softly, a canine peaking over her top lip as she met his eyes. _

_He reached her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her against him as he sat up on his knees. He shuddered as her bare breasts pressed into his chest, her soft skin so different from his rough, scarred flesh, he had to taste it. So, he did. _

_She whimpered, throwing her head back, as he suckled on her breast, rubbing his tongue across her erect nipple as he attempted to take more of the flesh into his mouth. _

_She tangled one hand in his hair, holding him to her, as her other one drifted fearlessly down his body. He felt her fingertips dip and catch on every scar they came across, and could smell her arousal by it. _

"_Fuck you."_

_He looked up into her heated opaque eyes. She smirked, teasingly running her tongue over lips again._

_Across his own lips, a rare twitch occurred, curling his mouth upward as predatory danger began to leak over his face._

"_What did I tell you about only saying what you mean?"_

"_Don't say what you don't mean?"_

_She attacked him, clashing their lips together in a fight that grew hot and wet fast. Teeth clacked together and tongues began their own war. After two minutes, they broke apart, her lips prettily bruised and her body bucking into his mindlessly._

"_Well, that's pointless."_

_She leaned forward, running her tongue from his collarbone to his lips again, beginning a slower assault. She spoke against his lips, her heavy lidded eyes watching him lustfully._

"_I mean exactly what I say."-_

He was alert before he was awake, catching the clenched fist that was flying at his face.

He opened magenta eyes to see the opaque eyes of her canine eyes. She was scowling down at him, dressed out in Konoha ninja gear.

"Hey, cap, my brothers are here from Suna."

She pulled her fist out of his hand, one hand planted on her hip as she shook the hand he had held, as if to remove something sticky from it.

"I refuse to touch you after you've had a wet dream."

She wrinkled her nose, watching dryly as he stood out of the bed shamelessly with an erection. Just barely, he could make out the red hue that came across her cheeks as she fixed her eyes on his face.

He was wearing boxers. Which meant, the erection standing between his legs, was using the slit in the boxers as it's doggy door.

"I do _not_ want to know who you were dreaming of."

He didn't bother to look at her as he put on a mesh shirt, then his Jounin vest.

"Oh? You're not at all curious?"

She frowned, tilting her head down and to the side slightly in thought. Then she sneered at him.

"Go screw yourself."

"With this, I'm thinking about it."

"Damn it, stop being so literal!"

He turned fully around to her, tying his bandana around his bare bicep as he stepped into his black sandals.

"No."

He walked pass her, ignoring her pout. She quickly got over it.

"Anywho, we need to go meet my brothers to assist them in their mission in any way we can."

She caught up with him quickly, walking beside him in the wide hall of the barracks for diplomatic purposes.

"We don't even know what their mission is, much less if they need our help."

She was suddenly in front of him, one hand clenched in the material of his vest. She growled as she looked up at him, her eyes fierce.

"We do know what their mission here is."

She leaned forward, her elbow digging into his chest.

"Someone tried to kill green daddy by using raccoon daddy."

* * *

Ah, suspense! Then again, it is 11:42, and I have to be asleep by midnight, or I am SOL. I am sure I made someone happy with this chapter… REVIEW PLEASE!


	55. Some Breaking News

With her brothers having been gone two days, Koi had been clinging to her mommy…

Which seemed to be the thing to do, seeing as how her daddy had already beaten her to the chase. He had gone as far as to bring his less important projects home with him so he could keep an eye on her mommy…

She really wished someone would tell her why everyone was suddenly so scared for her mommy. She wanted to protect him too! But, no, she was too young…

Evil people…

"My blossoming rose, I must release you so I may continue making the main course! It is your favorite tonight… as well as your father's…"

She giggled as her mom grimaced slightly, trying to hide it behind an accepting smile.

"I do not understand what the fuss is about cow tongue, but I am sure you both shall be ecstatic!"

Her mommy sits her down on the table, smiling prettily again as he turns back to the stove and makes dinner.

Her Mommy was just so cute, everyone's jealous of Koi for her awesome mommy.

… Wait a minute…

Koi looked from her mommy to her daddy, who had been watching the water boil and stirring it until his husband returned, as they stood side by side, doing something with their backs to her.

A fear arose in her that could have caused an epidemic of terror.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

He's there before she even finished the first call, fear in his own eyes.

"What is it, my blossoming rose?"

Koi was so distressed, and scared… Today was suddenly not her day.

"You're shrinking!"

He blinked, then looked over his shoulder at her daddy, who's looking back at them with a blank expression. Then he looked back to Koi and began petting her hair again.

"Koi, love, what makes you think such a thing?"

"Daddy's bigger than you! Yesterday, you were taller than him, but, today, you shrank!"

She put her face into her hands, everything bad that could happen happening.

If ever she wished someone was there, it was Moko to make this make sense to her.

"I'll have to get a purse and carry you around in it, or someone won't see you and you'll get squished! What if you keep shrinking till everyone thinks you're an ant? No one likes ants, they'll step on you!"

Her mommy blinked again, met eyes with her daddy once more, than began giggling, trying to hide it from her by putting his hands in front of his smiling lips. She pouted, being serious.

"No, mommy, you're shrinking!"

It only made her mommy laugh all that much harder, though it was clear he was truly trying not to. Seeing no help there, she turned desperately to her daddy, who remained by the pot, looking at them.

"Daddy! We've got to protect mommy from evil people who wanna step on him when he gets itty bitty!"

Her mommy turned his back slightly, so only his shaking shoulders could give him away. Her daddy, however, seemed to take her very seriously.

He walked to her, gently putting his hand on her head.

"Yes, we do have to protect mommy, don't we?"

She nodded vigorously, keeping her daddy's eyes.

"We have to protect him from everything that wants to hurt him! Exspecially when he becomes tiny!"

"Especially, not exspecially."

He ignored her pout.

"We'll protect him together."

Instantly, she smiled widely.

"Yeah! Together, like a team!"

Her daddy nodded, looking out of the corner of his eyes at her blushing mommy that stared at them with tears in his eyes, no longer laughing.

Though his smile was beautiful.

"Always."

* * *

It occurred to me that it would be awesome if Gaara was taller than Lee. It also occurred to me that it would be just so cute if Koi was the first to point it out, being a three year old that doesn't realize people get taller, not shorter. I wanted to do this in first person from Koi's POV, but it didn't go that way… Instead, I did it third person from her view. That went well, if I do say so myself.

Review, please, I live off of your people's love here!


	56. Some Light on the Situation

"He didn't do it."

"I know."

"Then why the hell are we here?"

"Because we want him to think we believe him."

Aya scowled again at her team captain, meeting eyes with her wolf to share her irritation. In front of her, before Naruto, the middle aged man continued to state that he had been the one to take the picture, then take it to Suna where he coerced a shinobi girl to deliver it to the Kazekage.

It was so simple, with how he explained it. Every detail was explained. Such as, how he had been able to take the picture without two seasoned ninjas such as the Hokage's husband and the Kazekage's 'wife' even realizing it. Or, how he had, despite not having the training, gotten away without being caught, and had then slipped away to Sunagakure where he gave a desert chuunin the photo without being identified.

It was all very elaborate…

And all very fake.

Aya loved how the man had shown up right as she and Oki had been on their way to see if they could find a scent trail that could lead them to the perpetrator, giving himself up as if he knew exactly what they were looking for. Which he shouldn't know, seeing as how only Jun, Aya, Samaie, Naruto, and Sasuke were the few Konoha nins qualified to know the information. Kanaye, Minamaru, and Hitori didn't even need permission to know, but still, the data was pretty classified.

As much as she hated not being able to tell her loved one's anything anymore, it was times like these when she was happy they kept back information.

This man, despite knowing exactly what he was talking about, was not the guy who had sent out the photo.

Aya knew this for certain because she had just came back from following the three day old trail (luckily, there had been no rain), and knew for one hell of a fact that that scent did not belong to this old geezer. She knew _damn_ well who the scent belonged to.

"I know who did do it."

Her captain's magenta eyes looked at her without him having to turn his head from the man attempting to accuse himself.

"So do I."

She scowled, one hand resting against her lip as she kept his eyes.

"Oh? And how did you figure it out, wise ass?"

Subtly, he tilted his chin towards the supposed perpetrator.

"Middle aged, poor class, no ninja skill."

"And how did you figure out who really did this by that deduction?"

"I've seen that necklace before."

Around the middle aged man's neck was a necklace with a pure gold chain, a black diamond dangling from it's end.

Everything in Aya went cold. She hadn't noticed that before… Because she knew exactly who that belonged to, and it wasn't to the guy who had actually performed this crime.

"That sleazy little fucking whoring shit ass…"

"Quite an opinion of him, don't you think?"

"Wait till I tell rainbows, then you'll get an opinion."

Hitori moved to step forward, his eyes flickering to her as he blinked. Aya nodded, a grimace on her face as she looked at the rare, expensive stone around the man's neck.

By the end of this day, this was going to make more than one person sick to their hearts.

* * *

Tenten gasped, arching her back into a perfect bend as her hands tangled in long, dark brown hair. Her legs were spread wide apart, assisted by her husband's hands holding her knees far from each other.

"I love you…"

She whispered against his lips as he touched his to hers so gently once again. His lilac eyes burned into hers, returning the words he had too much pride to say aloud.

Love was a weakness. To show a weakness was to be weak. To be weak was not to be proud. Neji was nothing if not proud. Luckily, Tenten was more than used to his pride, she found it humoring… at some points in life.

He released one of her knees to tangle it into her untied brunette hair, spread out beneath her like a puddle of melted chocolate. He arched into her body, aiming for that one sweet spot…

Tenten's head flew back as she made a long whining sound, her hands clenching in his hair as her legs came to hug her husband's waist, attempting to pull him deeper.

He looked up at her through the curtain of his own hair, his eyes smug with the knowledge of what he was doing to his wife, as he captured one succulent breast into his mouth, suckling it's crown as his wife cried out all the louder.

Only a few more gently thrusts later, and Tenten came with a high pitched moan, pressing her body tightly against her husband's as only the balls of her feet and the crown of her head touched the bed. She panted harshly, kept there as her husband wrapped one arm tightly about her to keep her suspended, quickening his pace as he felt his own release coming. With the squeezing and tightening of her flesh around his member, her incredible _heat_ drowning him, he couldn't hold on much longer. His tempo became less controlled, less predictable, as he suckled at the flesh in his mouth harder, the one hand supporting him and his wife clenching the bed sheets between his fingers.

He came with a long sigh and a shudder that knocked his support from him, forcing him to release his wife as he slid onto the bed, retaining enough of himself to land to her side instead of on top of her.

There was a long breathless moment where they could only stare at each other, their hearts beating faster than was healthy, their bodies strongly buzzing with sensation. After minutes of the silent communication, Tenten reached out and touched her hand to her husband's face, her own soft and gentle in the light of the small amount of sunshine slipping through the curtain.

"Thanks, Neji…"

He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning slightly into the touch, then nodded, opening his eyes as if nothing soft and loving had passed between them. Which, of course, it had, and they both knew that. But, again, pride dictated that weakness couldn't show through.

Pleasure and love were considered weaknesses. It made Tenten smile, because she knew, in this room, weaknesses didn't matter.

Her husband stood from the bed, calmly picking up his clothes and redressing. Tenten knew he planned on taking a shower, seeing as how the Hyuuga clan could actually see the release of bodily fluids with their byakugan as well as chakra systems.

The first time she had learned that, both she and Hinata had been beet red as Neji had continued to stand shamelessly before his uncle's brakeman, fully clothed, but may as well have been naked.

That had been the day Tenten learned she was going to marry Neji… _without_ her consent… Which she later found funny when Neji had properly proposed to her in front of his clan. That had been a beautiful moment…

Except, it was ruined now. Instead of a ring to show of their marriage, the Hyuuga had given her a necklace… A very beautiful necklace, with a very rare stone set into it. It had been a black diamond, harvested by her husband himself in a mission she hadn't gone on with him. He had placed a golden chain, enhanced with his own chakra so it could never be ripped away from her, on it, and had then linked it around her neck himself.

Such a beautiful proposal…

She frowned again, looking away from her husband as she brushed her fingers around her neck where she used to always be able to feel the chain. She had had it with her last night, that she was certain of. Yet, somewhere between her taking a shower, then leaving in a hurry to meet Minamaru and Kanaye, two boys she considered her nephews, that had just arrived in Konoha.

Whatever they had came here to do, she had had fun spending at least a few minutes with them. Then her hand had brushed against her neck, expecting to feel the chain that ever so seldom left her side, and had realized something horrid. She had left it behind in the bathroom at home in the Hyuuga estate.

She had grown antsy, not liking the feeling of not having her engagement necklace with her, but had let it slipped for a few seconds more, believing that it was safe where she had left it. No one would have been able to slip into the Hyuuga estate, no one had ever been able to do so since Hinata had almost been kidnapped as a child. Then she had been off, not because she feared it would be missing, but because she wasn't used to not wearing it.

She had came home to some very bad news… No necklace… Anywhere, she had been able to conclude an hour ago as she had scoured the building over three times, then the paths and trails she had taken since last being certain when she had worn it.

By the time Neji had came home, she had been near tears, uncertain of where to look next. Hinata had been helping her, but had been having just as little luck.

"I'm being thanked for making love to my wife?"

He gave the small, one sigh laugh that he usually did when something entertained him. He turned partially over his shoulder to look down at her as she blushed prettily around her own smile.

"No, you're being thanked for making me feel better."

She moved to slip off the other side of the bed, having been married to the Hyuuga long enough that she no longer shied under the covers when naked, but now crawled immodestly over the edge onto her feet.

The moment her foot touched the ground, however, arms surrounded her gently.

"Stay in bed."

She gave him a confused look as she stilled, blinking once.

"Why? I promised Hinata that I'd help her with those assholes of merchants that she's bargaining with. I need to be there in a few minutes."

Then some light escaped her sienna brown eyes, a sad sigh escaping her.

"Then I need to keep looking for my necklace… I can't believe I lost it!"

He drifted his lips over her left temple, pulling her back onto the bed with him.

"Stay in bed."

Her husband was gone with a flourish, leaving her confused and upset on the bed. She stared at the closed door for another moment, then groaned in irritation.

"Damn Hyuuga pride… I am woman, damn it, not a dog!"

With a silent note to herself not to say that in front of the Inuzuka's, she got off of the bed anyway, quickly washing herself before putting on her clothes. She closed the door behind her as she left, patting down the hallway to Hinata's rooms in the other complex of the estate.

She paused as she felt a spark of chakra. Realizing who it was, she smiled.

"Well, speak of the devil."

Instantly, by her side, Aya was crouched, looking up at her with a wrinkling nose and a slight grimace on her face.

"I keep forgetting your hubby's not asexual."

Tenten smiled tightly, unable to get entirely angry because she's heard them _all,_ _too _often.

"What is it you're here for, Aya?"

The younger Jounin held her eyes for a moment longer, than looked away, a dark scowl on her face as she stood up, slouching her shoulders forward as she put her hands into her black pants.

"I'm here to arrest Hito Hyuuga on accounts of theft."

Her heart went still, then began thundering away. Her hands clenched at her side, her teeth gritted together, as she took up a solid stance.

"Oh? And what did he steal? Why would he have to steal? He has everything he could want, he has no reason to steal!"

She tried to take a better approach, one to show the younger woman that she understood, but that it was still impossible.

"I know he's done some stupid things already, but he wouldn't steal!"

She paused, her skin becoming cold and clammy as she watched Aya evade her gaze.

"This is more than just theft isn't it? You wouldn't be here if he simply stole something."

"He stole your necklace."

Aya said it with a tone that loudly stated she was evading Tenten's question, but the Hyuuga was too shocked by what she said to pay attention to how she said it.

Her mouth dropped limp, her hands going slack as she stared blankly at Aya for a moment.

"Why would he steal my necklace? He knows how important that is to me! He wouldn't steal it from me!"

Approaching chakras made her rip around, focusing her son with a shocked gaze, her husband with a disbelieving. She felt helpless as she watched her husband push her son across the garden floor, resistance clear on her son's face, but unable to act on it. She met her husband's cold lilac eyes.

"What is this? Neji, let him go!"

He only held her eyes for a moment, then turned to Aya, holding their son out to her custody.

"I am tired of him shaming our family with his jealousy."

"Shaming our family!? Is that all you care about right now? Your _pride_!? Neji, that's our _son_!"

Tenten reached out, trying to grab her son, but was held back by her husband. Hito stared at her with desperate eyes, reminding her of when he was just a small child who had just had a nightmare.

Her son wouldn't do something that drastic as to steal… She knew he wouldn't…

He couldn't…

Aya wrapped one hand around her son's arm, beginning a transportation jutsu. Tenten struggled more wildly against her husband. Against her, Neji tensed, his eyes going tense as he continued to hold onto her. She whipped her head over her shoulder to pin him with a glare.

"Tenten, stop this."

"What? Are you going to use your 'gentle fist' on me if I don't stop? Would that shame you too?"

"He can't."

Tenten growled at Aya for speaking, not happy at all with the woman for taking her son away. However, Aya had no problem meeting her eyes this time.

"You're pregnant."

As they disappeared in a poof of smoke, it wouldn't be her own shock she would remember, nor the awe that filled her with what she suddenly knew to be the truth.

It would be the horror and fury on her son's face as he heard that as well, his eyes focused on her as if she had just heavily betrayed him.

She sagged against her husband as they disappeared, one hand clenched against her lips.

"What did he do? Neji, what did _we _do?"

Her husband had no answer as he broke one of his many rules.

Do not show weakness in view of others. This included embracing his wife in an open area garden in the center of the Hyuuga estate.

Regardless, he held her as close as their flesh would allow them, letting her cry into his chest.

They both knew this wasn't a simple theft, no matter how betraying that theft was.

* * *

-.- I need more humor in this story. After all, it's labeled humor and… general, isn't it? I think I'm going to in and edit that… I shouldn't lie to people like that, not even if I didn't know it at first. However, that does not mean that there shall immediately be more humor… Though I am going to try.

Please, just have some trust in me, and review to show your love. Out of curiosity, what chapter was anyone's favorite? Anyone's? So far, mine is 'Incrimination', then 'Our Past is our Present'. Anyone want to type out?

I need to stop calling Hito Hitori! Damn it, I should have gone with option two for Hitori... Damn it...


	57. Some Shadows Into the Light

Aya had Oki's fur clutched between her fingers that night, breathing in the woodsy scent of her wolf as she stared unblinkingly out of her window.

Just like that, Hito had admitted to paying off the man to take the blame for his crime. He had admitted to doing it because he was jealous of Minamaru's being in another relationship and had wished to cause the multi colored haired boy pain.

The scary thing? This time, Aya knew for sure they had the right person… It was terrifying.

Someone, not only able to steal something so precious from their own mother, but able to do it to cause unbearable pain upon another family? It was just sick… And that look of fury and betrayal on his face when he learned he was going to have a younger sibling? That had scared her too. It had scared her because she had seen it before. The day Minamaru had publicly stated that he and Kanaye were a thing, Aya had seen the look on Hito's face.

Now, these years later, hadn't he been willing to rip Minamaru's heart from his chest by way through his green-daddy and raccoon-daddy?

She turned over again, hand still clenched in Oki's fur as she switched her stare to the ceiling.

She was scared for Tenten. She was scared for her and her unborn baby. As long as Hito was alive and walking about, his unborn sibling wasn't going to be safe. She could feel it crawling through like a sickness that this was not going to be a good thing.

She should have kept her mouth shut. Instead of blabbering about it in front of the traitor, she should have just shut herself the hell up and left it to the pretty boy to tell his wife in his own time. She should have thought about why he hadn't, seeing as how she knew for a damn fact that he had already know. Then again, how would she have known that Tenten _and_ Hito _hadn't _already known?

She sighed, running a hand over her face as she looked to her digital alarm clock.

5:04 a.m.

What the _hell_ was she still doing awake?

She sat abruptly up from her bed, fleeing her rooms as if she feared demons would crawl out from underneath her mattress. With the greatest caution, she walked down the hall to the furthest room that was on the right side. Slowly, ever so slowly, she pushed the door open, first peaking into the room before stepping into it.

It was amazing, really, how Jun was the only one of the original four that had moved out of his parent's house. She, being the oldest and more private, should have been the first, but… Well, this was her pack, and she couldn't leave her pack behind.

She stared down at the small pale face on the bed, eyes that were an emerald green shut peacefully in sleep, black hair mussed by restless turning. In his arms, he held a large stuffed figure of a spider she had given him for his third birthday.

Uncertain, she leaned forward, kissing his forehead haltingly.

She hated little kids, she really did. They smelled, they screamed, and they took up space and time. But her little brother was cool. He was quiet when he wasn't being naïve. He was being tough when he wasn't being a buggy boy. He was being cool when he wasn't being a whiner.

For her life, Aya would protect him, just like she would for everyone else in her pack. However, she was also willing to live for him.

It wasn't that she was thinking about suicide, she wasn't. It was just she was surrounded by death, and it was becoming harder and harder as time went by to not blend in with it, just fade a little around the edges… No one seems to say 'I would live for you', despite how much more difficult that is to do. No, everyone's saying 'I would die for you'.

Dying is easy. One day, it happens to everyone. It's not optional, not to anyone. Living, however, is optional. If someone swore away the option, then that was devotion.

She had actually told green daddy that once, and had then laughed her ass off as he had ran to raccoon-daddy's side and screamed 'I will live for you, Gaara-love!'.

Now, it wasn't so funny as it was truthful.

She crawled into bed beside her four year old brother, curling herself around him as he shivered in the cold's night air that filtered through his slightly open window.

Some years ago, Aya had slept with her window open too. Then she started working under Hitori.

Instead of standing and closing it as instinct demanded, she closed her eyes and buried her face into her brother's hair, pulling the blanket securely around him to stop his insistent shivering.

Seconds later, Oki padded just as silently into the room, leaping uninvited onto the bed and laying herself over Kouga's prone body. In her arms, he startled, tensed, then began to relax anew, his breathing slowing until he was sleeping once more.

As she closed her eyes, she shivered. Not because of the cold air, but because of the cold smile that haunted her mind, Hito's unfeeling lilac eyes pinning her down with a ferocious betrayal burning through him.

'_I shouldn't love him anymore, should I? Not only is he whoring himself out, he was damned by his own birth…'_

His short, smug laugh as Kanaye's black sand rustled dangerously.

'_Oh? Am I the only one here who's looked through his private information? It was difficult to come across, but it was worth searching for. Now I know he feels nothing for any of you, at all.'_

Aya gripped Kouga tightly to her chest as she grit her teeth, her body going tense.

'_After all, the saying is 'father like son', and the last I heard, Orochimaru cared nothing for the people he used.'_

Aya looked down as she felt a hand clench into her shirt, meeting her little brother's emerald green eyes as the blinked sleepily.

"Sissy, what's wrong?"

Aya looked down at him, then shook her head, gently petting his hair as she began humming low in her throat.

"It's nothing, little man. Just sleep, kay?"

He squirmed tiredly, then calmed down simultaneously as his eyes closed, too heavy to hold up.

"You look scared…"

"Yeah, but that's okay…"

His eyebrows drew slightly together as he couldn't get his eyelids to lift back up.

"No, itch's not…"

"It is when you're my age…"

"Whatch you scared of, sishy?"

Aya grinned slightly at her brother's mumble, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm scared that people might not like rainbows in a bit here…"

"Rainbows?… Why?"

He curled more closely into her, seeking more body heat. She brushed her lips in his hair as she rubbed his back.

"If this bad guy I was talking to today is right, rainbows had a very bad daddy."

Irritation made Kouga's eyebrows draw together with more focus.

"Not his fault."

She snorted, though the sound was off, somehow.

"I know, little man. But we're going to have a field day getting that through everyone else's head."

"We're shtill gonna love him… right?"

She smirked, though she knew he was watching.

"We're going to love rainbows like he's giving us gold for it, little man."

"… Is he okay with having an evil daddy?"

Aya smiled bitterly over Kouga's head, staring at the wall coldly.

"He doesn't even know…"

Because, for the success of the interrogation, he hadn't been allowed near the premises. No matter how unapparent a one-way window could be, it was useless against a Hyuuga. Having him anywhere within the distance of the byakugan would have been stupid, so he had been at Jun's house waiting it out with Samaie.

Aya stayed there throughout the early morning, petting her baby brother as he slept.

Life was a bitch. When was she allowed to teach it to 'play dead'?

* * *

Finally! The truth is out! I was getting annoyed with knowing that, but unable to fit it in there. Well, ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart, are you happy?

Well, Hito's getting really dangerous, isn't he? I'm going to have a talk with just a girl two to see if I can change Hitori's name, but while I do that, I'd like for you all to tell me if I should. It's getting seriously confusing to me to have a 'Hito' and a 'Hitori', which is sad, because they're both completely awesome names.


	58. Letter from Kanaye

_Father, _

_If you don't get your ass down here in the next three days, I will cause you so much pain before you can even defend yourself. If you think I have no idea about what you didn't tell me about Arune all of those years ago, you are wrong. I know now, and I want to know why the hell you didn't tell me before! Damn it, I'm always going to love him, no one is ever going to have him. So why would you keep this from me? If you act as if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I will shove my sand down your throat, father or not. _

_I don't give a fuck if this letter took three days getting to you, just get here now! I want answers, and I them the moment you step through the front gates of Konoha. I refuse to listen to your shit on paper, I want to talk to you while you're standing in front of me, chichi by your side._

_It's amazing, because you can lie to me and Arune… But you can't lie to chichi… You're fucked up, old man._

_~ Kanaye_

Gaara continued to stare down at the letter, held loosely in one hand, as he stood in front of his desk where he had begun reading it. Calmly, he sipped at his coffee, flickering his gaze to the date written on the bottom.

"Gaara-love! I have heard that our handsome lotus has sent you a letter!"

His husband dashed into the room, smoothly stopping by his side to peek over his shoulder. The redhead folded the paper back in half before his lover could read it, slowly putting it back into the envelope as he peeked out of the corner of his eyes at the pouting man.

"What is it that he said? Quick, Gaara-love! Get out a fresh piece of paper, we shall write back!"

With all of the drama that was Lee, he went about scouring the room for the elusive paper. The redhead watched after him for a moment, allowing Lee to find the paper, take out the quill, and begin writing on it with pure joy on his face, before he made his statement.

"We're going to go meet them."

His lover stopped scrawling speedily on the sheet in favor of blinking up at Gaara. A second later, Gaara had an armful of green and black, a happily squealing Lee attached to him with legs around his waist, arms around his shoulders.

"Are we? Truly!? We have not visited our dearest friends since Naruto-kun's celebration party! It feels as if it has been forever!"

There was only an inch of a second where Gaara almost felt his knees give out beneath him, seeing as how Lee was wearing his weights at that moment. Then he was walking calmly out of his office, not bothering to attempt to dislodge his over-ecstatic lover, or stop his subordinates from snickering as he passed them by.

He just let Lee nuzzle into his neck, his body almost trembling he was so excited. If his lover wanted to love him, then there was nothing he could do…

Except encourage it.

If he could lift a desert above Suna, then he could carry his lover.

"It's been three months."

"Yosh! It has been a very long time since we have last gazed eyes upon our dear family and friends!"

Gaara shook his head subtly, continuing to hold Lee to his chest. Lee giggled, one hand clenched to his lips as his eyes danced with joy.

"We must go pick up Koi so she may experience some time of youth with her dear friends of Konoha!"

He smiled gleefully, clenching a hand in Gaara's kage robes.

"I am hardly able to wait three days as we travel there!"

"One day."

Lee blinked, tilting his head back to look at Gaara as the kage smartly used his sand to transport them the rest of the distance to their house instead of risking the stairs.

"One day?"

Lee asked once the sand settled, still tightly clinging to his husband, his braid slightly messed up from the mini sand storm.

Gaara nodded, partially releasing Lee so that the man's feet could touch the ground.

Koi had been right, Gaara was now the taller of the two. It wasn't pointedly obvious, as of yet, but there was a slight difference in how they looked at each other now. Gaara had to tilt his eyes the barest of an inch down to meet his lover's eyes, who had to tilt his eyes up the same distance. It was strange, seeing as how, when they had begun dating, Lee had been at most three inches taller. Yes, Gaara had been aware that the difference had slowly shrank over the total 21 years they had been together. It had never occurred to him that he might become taller.

"One day."

Arms still about Gaara's shoulders, Lee tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Why only one day, my redhead devil?"

"We have a time limit."

Lee blinked, then grinned widely, suddenly no longer in the redhead's arms, as well as no where else in sight. Regardless, Gaara stood there calmly, waiting…

And he was suddenly there again, his Jounin vest on, green backpack attached, and Koi sleeping away in his arms. He gave the redhead a high thumbs up, falling into the 'good guy pose'.

"We are ready when you are, Gaara-love!"

Gaara nodded again, a subtle sigh escaping him.

Their sons were about to cause Lee more pain then Gaara had ever before been able to with each attempt on his lover's life.

"We'll travel back to the quarters to announce our departure. Once outside of the walls, I can transport us to the desert border. From there, we can run."

Lee smiled again, slipping Koi into the makeshift baby carrier, arranging her so she wouldn't be bothered as she slept.

"Yosh!"

* * *

I am so sorry for not updating in so long. We kind of lost internet there for a few days. But it's all good!

Kanaye is so mean to his raccoon daddy… And Lee is so cute! X3 The fluff was so awesome! I've always wanted to have Gaara carry Lee.


	59. Tragedy and Truth

'_He ran… I can't believe that bastard ran out… That goddamn, fucking traitor, he ran…'_

Aya had an arm tossed over her eyes, her fanged teeth clenched together, in hopes of blocking out her rage.

Yesterday, Neji had just narrowly saved his wife from being poisoned, a soluble having been slipped into her breakfast.

Because of her support for the male pregnancy project, it was circulating that that was why their had been an attempt placed on her life.

She, as well as her team captain, and Neji, believed that to be bullshit. Out of the second generation, Aya was the only one that knew of Tenten's pregnancy, though she believed that Minamaru was catching on, baby fanatic that he was. Hitori, being fucking Hitori, had looked once at Tenten after the attempt, then had calmly dragged Aya to the side to ask 'why the _hell_ is that woman pregnant again?'

Aya didn't think it was a coincidence that, two days after telling Hito that his mother was pregnant, Tenten would be randomly targeted by a cult that was trying to off all male carriers, their husbands, and anyone who assisted them in becoming so. After telling Hitori that Hito knew about his mother's pregnancy, he hadn't believed so either.

It was then that a search party was sent out, made of Jun, Samaie, and Minamaru, to search for the traitor. It didn't take long to find out that Hito hadn't planned to stick around for his mother's demise, because he was _nowhere_ to be found.

That cowering asshole…

Aya had been thinking about it for a few hours now, ever since being sent home to cool down as Hitori and the rest of the gang went to conduct a deeper search, about how Hito could have that kind of pull. How old had they been when the cult had first begun showing their ugly mugs? Somewhere around 16? 15, maybe?

Hell, she couldn't remember. Yeah, the blood left a huge impression, but there'd been a lot of that lately. What she did know was how ridiculous this was.

Hito had been her same age when the first attack had occurred. There was no way in hell he could orchestrated that kind of pain over everyone…

Why not, though? She knew about what Naruto's boy toy had done when he'd only been around 12, 13 perhaps. He had left, joined the very dude Aya and everyone else had learned had sired their dear friend, and had then killed the bastard himself and began his own movement, all within three years.

The signature was the same too, aside from it having been another man to fund the movement. Maybe Hito and the ass they had killed those years ago had been colleagues? Maybe Hito had just used the other man.

A man, not used to being scorned, unwilling for it to happen, had listened as someone told him of a way for vengeance, lied about how simple it would be, had told him what to do and when to do it.

The more and more she thought about it, the more likely it became.

Hito could very well be the man running the joint…

"Aya!"

She gave a sudden expel of breath as her little brother leaped onto the bed, landing heavily on her belly, then began bouncing.

"We have to go!"

'_God damn it…'_

"Where?"

He was so excited, he was shaking, a large canine grin on his pale face as he stared down at her.

"There's a rare species of bug in the forest! I want to go find it before winter settles in and they die."

She scowled, not at all in the mood to deal with her four year old brother.

"Why am I going with you to look at bugs?"

"Because mommy and daddy are out on a mission."

She growled, tossing the smug boy off of her as she rolled off the bed and landed neatly on her feet, stepping into her shoes as she walked out of her bedroom door.

"No."

"What!?"

Kouga dashed in front of her, blocking off the stairs with his small body as he pouted up at her.

"Why not?"

She picked him up, then placed him to the side. He stalked her all the way down the stairs, his pout boring into her back.

At that very moment, she wished she had Oki with her. Instead, she had left her in the care of Jun, so she could try and track Hito down by scent. If she had Oki, then Oki could have led Kouga to the woods, helped him find his bug, then kindly escort him back.

She wouldn't have to deal with this shit.

"Because I don't have to."

She most likely sounded like a bitch, but… Newsflash? She was a bitch.

If thought of, in the sense that her pup-daddy was a bitch too for bearing children, Kouga was a son of a bitch.

How lovely…

"Please? They won't be here much longer!"

She spun on him, looking down at his pout with irritation.

"Why do you have to so suddenly look for this freakin' bug?"

Rule… some large number… Never say 'fuck' in front of Kouga. That is always a bad idea.

"Because I didn't know about it till today!"

She growled down at him, glaring into his largely innocent emerald green eyes. After a moment, the anger died down. Her shoulders relaxed, and her lips fell down over her teeth as she stared resigned down at him.

"Okay, but we're not looking for this bug all night, got it?"

She considered taking it back when he smiled slyly.

"How bout till bedtime?"

She turned his back on him.

"It's either dusk, or nothing."

She opened the door and walked out, leaving it to him to follow after. She walked slowly, waiting for it…

"Wait! I'm coming!"

The door was slammed shut, then there was a mini pup-daddy/bug-daddy mix by her side, excitement waving off of him.

She couldn't help but smile, tossing his hair affectionately. She got the usual 'Hey!' in return, but, as the tension began to leak away, she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Let's go find us a new buggy pet, shall we?"

He smiled winningly, beginning to run to the woods at fast as he could.

"Race you there!"

She continued to walk calmly, knowing he'd lose his breath before he even got halfway there. The woods was a mile away, not in their backyard.

She could overtake him in a sec.

* * *

Samaie had only been allowed in on what was going on after he had slipped into the mission reports, fed up with not knowing what was dragging his boyfriend down.

When he had finished, everything had been put back precisely where it had been, not one thing different, nor a trace left behind. Just what would be expected of a ninja. Then, ever so calmly, he had met with Hitori, Jun's and Aya's captain. Ever so calmly, he had demanded to know 'why such a twisted, fucked up, jackass, shit faced, boy was doing, taking his boyfriend and his 'sister' out on missions that could most possibly cause them their sanity.'

Ever so calmly, with such accepting nature, Hitori had told him to 'fuck off, or join up, because we're not done yet.'

Positive that those were his only choices, he had opted for the latter.

Hence, how he knew who Minamaru's father really was, as well as why he was chasing down Hito with them. His senses were stretched out as wide as he could make them, stealthily leaping from branch to branch of the unending amount of trees with his boyfriend by his side. Oki was running by their side, occasionally looking behind herself to home, as if waiting for her mistress to return. Minamaru and Kanaye had broken off, going to another direction, while Hitori had decided to single handedly take on the west.

Three hours had passed as they searched unsuccessfully, becoming agitated and annoyed. From his right, a plume of color shot up into the air.

Samaie watched it dully, even as Jun sighed in relief. Oki's tail began wagging.

Kanaye and Minamaru had found him.

* * *

"Where exactly are these little buggers?"

Aya had to carry Kouga over another speeding stream, this once waist height on her at it's deepest.

They weren't in the woods anymore. Now, they were in the forest. Kouga's grin had been gradually fading, looking around himself more frequently.

"He told me that I would pass it's nest if we kept going directly south from the main trail…"

Aya snorted, dropping Kouga back onto his feet as they touched dry land, shaking her pant legs to try and get rid of excess water.

"You mean we're all the way out here because of something Makato told you? Little man, I can't even count the number of times I've told you to not believe everything he says."

She rolled her eyes, almost missing the frown that came over Kouga's face as he stared up at her with confusion.

Almost, but she didn't.

A frown came across her own face as she met her brother's confusion with her own epiphany. She planted her hands on her hips as she stared down at him.

"It wasn't Makato that told you, was it?"

Kouga shook his head, looking even more confused as his big sister grimaced down at him.

"Then who told you?"

"Hito did."

She blinked, a very cold dread dripping down her spine. The feeling increased as she realized what it was.

She leaned down so that she was eye level with her baby brother, meeting his eye with urgency in her own.

"Kouga, little man, I need you to do something huge, kay?"

He nodded slowly, unable to comprehend what was scaring his sister. He knew she was scared too, it was in how her hands were suddenly so cold and damp as they gripped his upper arms and pulled him up against her chest. He clung to her as she began running fast, becoming more and more confused as they went along.

"Don't. _Scream_."

He looked at her, fear setting in as he looked at the desperation on his sister's face, then it escaladed as he looked behind them.

There were shadows following them…

And, in the next moment, the shadows were around them, looking down at them with blank, white porcelain masks on.

He had to bite his lip, but he managed to force himself to do the big thing as his sister swung him onto her back in favor of taking a kunai out of the pouch around her waist, catching one of the offenders in the stomach.

He had now seen his sister spill blood for the first time…

And, looking over her shoulder to see her eyes, to be comforted somehow, he saw something more terrible then the masked attackers around them.

Madness peaked out of her opaque eyes as her canines glinted in the light barely able to make it through the thickly woven branches about them.

"Who wants to go down with me?"

The ambushers had no answer but to advance, and that was when Kouga lost his battle innocence for the rest of his life.

* * *

Hito smiled humorlessly, blood leaking out of his pale lips, a hand clutching at a large pane of broken glass in his gut.

Minamaru had his face hidden in the demon's spawn's shirt, his shoulders just subtly shaking.

He wished he could tell him all over again about who his father was. Even if it was costing him his life, he wanted to see the pain and horror on his face all over again.

It had been the most beautiful face he had ever before seen.

Samaie looked down at him uncaringly, even as the pudgy boy stared with horror.

The Suna diplomat didn't seem to care at all.

Well, he was going to… Wasn't he?

"You're an idiot. You didn't even attempt to run across the border, we're possibly two miles from Konoha. Did you think everyone would calm after a while and welcome you back in if you waited long enough in the woods like a hermit?"

The bluenette stared at him with a look of blank disgust.

"Pathetic."

He couldn't stop himself, he honestly couldn't.

He started laughing. Despite the shredding pain that came with each intake of breath, he continued to do so. It was just altogether too funny.

His lilac eyes were filled with the amusement he felt as he stared at his two former teammates, both holding kunais before themselves, then the bluenette, who scowled at him, then to the demon spawn and the whore. He was enjoying the redhead's expression best, the fury and hatred that burned in those impossibly dark eyes. Then his favorite was the defeat that showed through the whore's weak hold and frozen body against the spawn.

"I never planned on going back… I never planned on living, either… But I _will_ leave my mark."

"What mark!? Leaving the boy you claimed you loved as a broken boy? You selfish, uncaring _bastard_!"

Again, Hito started laughing, amused anew at the pudgy boy's ignorance.

"I figured I'd fail killing my whoring mother… Father hardly held enough love for me to be so blind as to what I was doing… Now my mother's going to birth another child, and this one will most likely take the place I should have taken… How sad Hinata skipped her morning tea today, that one wouldn't have failed."

"You monster…"

One finely arched eyebrow turned up when the whore spoke. Ever so slowly, amethyst eyes met his lilac eyes with hatred in them. He stepped out of the possessive hold of the demon spawn, supposedly trying to seem threatening as he moved to stand before Hito, hands clenched at his sides.

"You're willing to kill your own family, just because they're living their life instead of living yours. You say your father is proud and selfish, but you're just worse! You've stolen and killed and tried to kill! And I bet… You're the one that kept putting those hits on mommy…"

Hito smirked, running a red dyed tongue over his lips as more life ebbed away from him.

"The first time was to hurt you, and I even considered attacking the infant, but I found that to be a waste of my time. The next few times were because he just wouldn't die."

Minamaru snarled down at him, eyes flickering between amethyst and new golden coin.

"And you call _Kanaye _a demon? You say _I _don't care about anyone? You get off with hurting people, but you can't find fault with yourself!?"

His eyes stopped flickering, remaining a gold coin color as rage and fury won out. Ever so slowly, black markings began to snake their way across his skin, appearing like miniature swirls resembling the seal he had once seen on the new kage's stomach when he had unpleasantly walked in on something he would have rather not seen.

"Well, that's too damn bad, Hito. 'Cause I see a whole hell of a lot of fault with you! And, you know what? You didn't even do that much! You hurt my feelings, but I'll get better. You tried to kill mommy, but he's just fine! You tried to kill your own mother, but she's as good as she was days ago! The only thing you've actually hurt is our past!"

Minamaru smiled, somewhat maniacally, as his four companions stood silently behind him, none of them moving an inch. It was only Hitori that studied the markings that showed on Minamaru, the only one who was more focused on the 'how', then the fight. Jun was mentally encouraging Minamaru on, a sheen of tears over his brown eyes. Samaie only stood quietly, more into studying the smugness that was painted across the fallen Hyuuga's face than Hitori was in studying Minamaru. Kanaye was allowing his lover to do as he wished, not studying the markings such as Hitori was, but the emotions on his face. Oki had her grey eyes focused on the prey, tensely waiting in case he tried to make flight, despite his gut wound.

"I can think of two people that won't be better at the end of today. And there won't be making them any better…"

He snorted, his eyes glazing somewhat. Minamaru hissed, displeased with the smug in that tone. His skin color faded till it was a white grey, seeming to do so with the swaying light that got through the thinly spread branches.

"Who?"

Hito smiled.

"The combined ignorance about me is annoying… I am so highly intelligent, but not one person took that into consideration as you all tracked me mindlessly through the woods… It didn't occur to anyone that I might have known that the mutt lover would become overly pissed and defensive when it was told to her that I tried to kill my mother… Nor did it seem to dawn on any of you that I might have known that her captain would send her home because of her instability."

His eyes glazed over almost entirely, hands going limp by his side, as the fury and rage that had reshaped Minamaru faded away, returning amethyst to the teen's eyes and color to his skin, the markings retreating. Behind him, Hitori's eyelids flinched, then he cursed, already moving away. Jun was now the one pale enough to resemble a ghost, a hand flying to his mouth as his horrified eyes flew to Samaie's startled ones. Kanaye grabbed Hitori before he could begin his search, his face set coldly. Oki stood to her paws, snarling and growling at Hito as she perceived that her mistress had been threatened.

"Aya's one person. You said two would be affected."

Hito was staring into Minamaru's fazed eyes, his smile losing edge as he faded more fully away.

"The innocence of her little brother… Believing me so easily… It helped to lead them into the woods, then the forest… Don't worry… You'll find their bodies some day…"

He died instantaneously, a kunai shoved into his throat. Minamaru's hand was shaking as he pulled it away, his teeth grit as his eyes darted about the forest ground far below them.

"We have to spread out, find them as fast as we can…"

He turned to Jun and Oki, both of them sharing the same gaze of sorrow. Samaie and Kanaye were sharing a stare, one of knowing that there was no hope, even as Kanaye kept a hand locked around the upper arm of the furious Suna diplomat.

"Damn it, why did I send her home?"

"I should have left Oki with her, she'd be okay if I had left Oki with her."

"Jun, it's not your fault.-"

"SHUT UP!"

Minamaru growled-yelled at them, eyes flickering once more.

"We don't know if she's hurt yet, so don't go losing hope already! I mean, we've seen the sleazebags that Hito's sent out before, she can take care of them, no problem!"

* * *

Aya slammed into another tree trunk, blood spilling into her mouth as her teeth crashed together with her tongue between them. She cursed as she fell to the ground, landing on her hands and knees, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

Trembling slightly, sweat bathing her cold, she stood to her feet again. Her opaque eyes glared viciously at the four masked beings before her, their black cloaks blending into the shadows around them as if they were stepping out of it's cover. Each of their white masks stared blankly at her, each moving forward as if they were nothing but puppets on the end of the strings, moving at the same speed, the same motion, as who they stood next to.

One had been killed instantly from where Aya had driven a kunai through his belly, but that had left five more. The second to die was the one the other four carelessly stepped over as they moved towards her again.

"Sissy, we have to run!"

Aya flickered her eyes to her brother to assure herself that he was fine. She had been an A rate student when it had came to booby traps, so safeguarding hadn't been all that difficult, basically being the same thing. Kouga was now trapped behind a shimmer of blue, pounding pointlessly at it in an attempt to get out. Luckily, just as he was trapped, they couldn't get in.

They could, if they had enough time to. But that was when Aya would attack them, even if that included leaving her back open.

Hence, the five or so shuriken that had been sticking out of her back until she had just hit the tree a moment ago. Now they were causing some more damage than the usual weapon, painfully poking things they had been able to reach a moment ago.

Aya didn't answer him. Instead, she growled savagely as one of the four beings broke away to begin a jutsu that would break the barrier guarding them from her baby brother.

She was on him in a moment, beginning another heated battle that included any kunai and shuriken she could grab, her supply gone, as well as biting, hitting, kicking, and attempting to either, break her fist through his chest, or slit his throat with one of her claws.

No matter how wild she got in defending her brother, he had a counterattack, appearing as if he was doing nothing more than getting a hold on a small child having a fit.

It pissed her off all the more, but she kept forward at it.

As he leaped backwards, she just barely caught herself before she began following him. She placed herself into a defensive stance before her baby brother, snarling at the four beings as they began moving forward again.

"Sissy, please!"

She ignored him, just because she knew they couldn't run away from this. The moment she had realized they were being followed had been the moment it was too late to run.

Not because of her blood lust, which had died down with the growing certainty that it was just her blood that was going to fall as well as fear, but because _they_ had known the moment she had realized they were there.

She growled again, arms spread at her sides, claws at the ready, blood stuck under her nails, as well as coating her canines.

The last man's death had been very unpleasant.

"Mutt, you can't win."

She yelped, her eyes widening impossibly, as a sharp and sudden pain drove through her chest, one of the cloaked member before her. Looking down, she was torn between shock and, for some sick reason, humor.

There was a blade stuck neatly between her breasts, allowing blood to pump out over her red top, turning the shirt a darker color. Slowly, she looked back up, blinking slowly as she stared into the eyes that peeked at her through the eye shaped holes in the porcelain masks. Blood began to slip out over her lips, not from her tongue.

She could hear screaming. It was loud, and high pitched, and it was dimming away. She could hear her own heart, how it fought to survive, but began to lose terribly before it even realized it was supposed to fight. Her own breathing sounded blocked and choked, stilling somewhere in the back of her throat, before she could actually take a breath.

Ever so slowly, as if being done with relish, the blade was slid back out of her, allowing her to fall numbly to her knees to blink stupidly at the ground. The blade was dropped onto the ground before her, as if to be taken as a taunt.

"Well, mutt. Would you like to extract your revenge upon me? Drag me down with you?"

The voice, she realized, her vision darkening, was distinctively female.

"Awww, I guess that's just too bad. Well, while you lay there dying, we're going to help your brother join you. We wouldn't want you to die alone."

Aya listened to her laughter for a moment, uncomprehending, then it did come to her.

"_I know who I shall live for! I shall live for my most special person, Gaara-love!"_

_Aya rolled her eyes to look at the insane green man. She had just explained to him how much more precious it was to live for someone then to die for them. _

"_I kind of figured you'd say that…"_

_Her green daddy turned to her, cutely perching his head on his palm as he balanced his elbow on his raised knee, his long braid hardly moving in the soft, Konoha breeze. _

"_Who is it that you would live for, Aya-kun?"_

_She blinked, looking to him speculatively, before she looked back to the party going on inside. She knew that Minamaru was looking for her, but she had been too busy stalking green daddy to go to their hiding place yet. She had followed him to this balcony, where he had called her out. She knew it was harder to hide from a seasoned Jounin than another, younger Jounin, such as she was able to do with Jun and sometimes Minamaru, but she had still cursed. Which had gotten her reprimanded, which had led to this conversation._

_Which had led to this question…_

_She nibbled at her bottom lip in thought, staring speculatively at the ground below, them being on the third floor._

"_I guess… I don't know, Jun? Oki?… Pup daddy and Bug daddy?"_

_She scowled as Lee began laughing, beginning to growl._

"_What? They're family."_

_He wiped away a stray tear, amusement showing through his obsidian eyes._

"_True, they are. Yet, I had this assumption that, to live for someone, was a much more rare occurrence than to die for someone. If we are to think in that sense, then there are hundred of people I would wish to live for! Tenten-kun, Neji-san, Naruto-kun, Gai-Sensei, Sasuke-san, your parents… Everyone in the family!"_

_He laughed again at Aya's ticked expression._

"_If you were really dying, you'd live for any random person that came by you and demanded that you live?"_

_He perched his face into his hand again, smiling cheekily._

"_That is how you made it sound just a moment ago. If the people we are to live for are the same as those we would die for, then there is truly no difference between the two."_

"_There's all the difference in the world! There's no option with death, it'll happen to everyone! To say 'I would die for you' is like saying 'Hey, I'll die early for you 'cause you're going to need my death on your mind at some point.' Yeah, it's a great sacrifice, but it hardly amounts to anything in the end!"_

_Lee had an eyebrow risen with an 'oh?' expression on his face._

"_Then who is that you wish to live for, Aya-kun, if the number of people is so small compared to those you would die for."_

_When he realized that Aya truly was having trouble naming someone, he frowned, sadness leaking into his eyes. _

"_Who is it that makes you smile at the end of the day? The one person you know needs you, and you more than willing to be there for them!"_

_The first name that rose into her head was 'Oki', but that didn't seem to fit the space that was the answer to the question. _

"_You wish to guard them with your life, yet be with them through every one of their precious moments!"_

_Jun popped up in her head, but, again, it didn't fit. She thought about Minamaru, but that didn't seem right either. They both had their own special people, they didn't need her as she felt the person who she would live for should need her. _

_Hell, they could go days without seeing her, then smile and start chatting away as if she had never been gone when she next saw them. That wasn't too bad, but they went all lovey dovey over their boy toys after they're gone for a few days, then show up again. _

"_Someone you would wish to die for as well as live for! Just as you want to be by their side, you wish to watch over them!"_

_Wait… _

_Someone who missed her while she was gone, someone she worried about the whole time she was away. Things she would pass by while on missions and think 'He'd love that'. _

_Her eyes widened impossibly, staring down to the ground._

"_Holy shit…"_

_Lee tilted his head, a small smile on his face._

"_What is it, Aya-kun?"_

_It was clear by his tone that he already knew what 'it' was. Regardless, she turned her startled eyes to him, answering the question._

"_I know who I would live for…"_

"Sissy! Please, stand up! Sissy! _Sissy_!"

_Lee's small smile grew until it was spread beautifully across his face, pride beaming off of him._

"_I knew you would figure it out, Aya-kun…"_

"She's gone, mutt. But, it's okay, we'll help you meet up with her again."

The three cloaked figures suddenly stopped working on the barrier separating them from the boy, turning sideways towards their fourth member who had just seemed to choke on air. After a moment, the fourth member looked down, as if expecting to see something sticking out of her chest, then fell forward, sprawling forward on the ground.

Slouched behind her, Aya was trembling, one hand loosely holding the blade she had just used on the woman, the other balanced shakily on the ground for support. She smirked, blood trickling thickly from her mouth as if she were a broken fountain.

"Revenge… Bitch…"

She choked, gurgling slightly, as her heart continued it's unsteady pace, her opaque eyes flying to the three before her baby brother. She dropped the sword, one arm sliding behind herself for a moment, then spread her arms out wide in welcome, standing unsteadily to her feet, for them to attack her.

Cursing, two broke away from the close knit group, gracefully charging Aya.

Kouga watched, his wide, shocked eyes spilling tears, as the two took out blades, about to stick them into his sissy.

"_SISSY_!"

He beat anew at the barrier, uncaring that he would be killed if he ever did manage to step outside of it. He gasped as one of the cloaked figures ran his sister through with another blade, the other one an inch from doing so. He met his sister's eyes, horror and pain apparent in his own, yet hers…

Hers were laughing, as if she knew a joke they didn't. Something told him to look down, possibly his sister doing so. As he followed her gaze, they landed upon a… horrifying object.

For one reason or another, the last sound he heard before his sister threw the exploding tag at the tree right by her and the other two, was a sound resembling sand under the water, flowing and constantly moving…

Then he only heard his own screams.

* * *

At the same moment, in three different locations, one dog, four men, and two teenagers came to attention, all of their gazes turned towards the same location, regardless of which way they had to turn their heads and bodies.

Not a word was said as they speeded forward, moving towards the sight of the explosion and screams.

Not even Jun and Minamaru, both silently crying, could say a word. Nor Oki, who was perceiving that her mistress could possibly be dead, made a single whimper or whine.

It was the silence that came with finally believing something to be hopeless…

Because the screaming just would not stop.

* * *

He screamed loud and long, his vision momentarily blocked by the occurring explosion of fire and smoke. He remained untouched behind the barrier, his hands attempting to dig through it, as he tried to see through the chaos to his sister.

'_She has to be okay, she has to be okay, she has to be okay!'_

He began to hyperventilate, which caused him to choke on the smoke that filtered through the barrier.

"Sissy!" He coughed, his eyes beginning to water as more smoke came through. His nails sank into the shield about him, allowing the appendages to slip through with no trouble.

The barrier was falling…

He wished it would come back, he truly did. If it did, that would mean that his sister was still there.

Regardless, it disappeared, shimmering into nothing. Kouga whimpered, one hand flying to his nose to try and block out the scents. His eyes watered more, his chest and shoulders shuddering with sobs.

Slowly, he stood from where he had been trapped, his small body quivering as his stinging eyes swept from side to side.

The smoke began to clear away, fading with the night's breeze.

He tripped and staggered through the debris, trees that had been blown to bits as well as rock that had crumbled…

…Bodies that had been torn apart in the force of it…

He sobbed, bending slightly over from the middle as he stared at a shattered porcelain mask, most of the head it had been covering still attached to it. He looked away, teeth grit against the terror.

"Sissy?"

His whispery voice choked out, squinting through the remaining smoke. A gasping, deep-throated voice cursed close to where he had been safeguarded at the tree.

"'_Sissy', 'Sissy'_…"

Kouga gasped at the mocking voice, spinning around to peer through the curtain of grey and darkness, to the man that had been standing next to him when the explosion had gone off.

"Filth… All of you unnaturally born… Our leader, Hito, knew what to do with your disgusting kind…"

Kouga blinked, sobbing through his clenched teeth, then opened his eyes to silence. His mouth dropped open in shock, his eyes becoming large as disks, as he stared at the figure standing over the cloaked figure, his green clad back to him.

"I… I am… _so_ sorry… Kouga-kun…"

The sound of rustling sand occurred again, making Kouga flinch and spin around to where he had watched Aya go about her own death. The golden grains moved speedily away from the body it had been shielding from the explosion, leaving behind Aya with her eyes staring blankly upward.

He sobbed again, tears flowing out of his eyes, then the Kazekage stepped out into sight, his blue-green eyes calm as he inspected the disaster area.

"Save her! Please!"

He ran to his sister's side, falling beside her as he continued to sob hopelessly. He looked desperately at Lee as the braided man slowly walked forward, reaching out to try and calm the small boy.

"You're so fast! Please, get her help! You- You can do it! P-please he-help her!"

He screamed, the pain so sharp on his face, it struck right through the mother's heart as he shook his head. He was the fastest thing in both of Konoha and Suna, but no way of transportation could save Aya at this point. Even moving her could finish her off. Not even Gaara's way of transportation would be fast, or safe enough, for the damaged body.

"What kind of ninja are you!?"

"What kind of brother are you?"

He snarled, his pained, leaking eyes, glaring at Gaara in turn.

"What?"

Gaara calmly met his eyes, moving to stand in front of Lee as he had all of those years ago when he had first defended the man.

"Why are you two so deeply in the forest?"

It was there in the boy's eyes, how they shattered, that he thought he realized who's fault it was. Anew, he began sobbing, looking at Lee around Gaara.

"I-I'm… S-sor-rry, Green daddy…"

He shook his head shakily, burying his head into his sister's chest.

"I-I d-didn't m-mean it-t… It's all my f-fault!"

He began openly crying, his small hands gripping tightly into his sister's shredded shirt.

Lee blinked, looking down at the small boy. Shaking somewhat, he pushed around Gaara, diving for the child and pulling him into his arms. For a moment, Kouga was tense, stilly silent, then began wailing, burrowing into Lee as deeply as he could get.

Koi stepped out of the bush her daddy had put her near, her large eyes tearing up as she looked at her puppy friend, then began sniffing as she looked from her daddy to her mommy, then to Kouga.

She rushed to Aya's side, grabbed the woman's shoulder, and began shaking it vigorously.

"Aya! You got to wake up! Aya, Kouga's crying!"

She remained unresponsive. Gaara walked to his daughter's side and placed a hand on her shoulder, closing his eyes and shaking his head as Koi looked up at him with confusion. She refused to believe what that was supposed to mean. She began shaking harder, her movement being watched by a still sobbing Kouga, before she dunked her head down over Aya's heart, uncaring of the blood that was there. She went still, then smiled widely.

"She has a heartbeat!… Do dead people have heartbeats?"

Lee shook his head numbly, his mouth dropping open as he eyed the form for the supposed heartbeat, and found it. She looked up to her father pleadingly.

"You've got to save her, daddy! She needs us!"

When Koi had exclaimed that she was alive, Kouga had suddenly disappeared from Lee's arms and was leaning over his sister, trying to lift her eyelids to get her to open her eyes, dipping his head to put it over her heart as well, despite getting his face covered in blood.

Lee smiled, tears falling from her eyes.

_Aya kept his eyes as he smiled knowingly, a small smile forming on her own face as her eyes narrowed with realization._

"_But you already knew I'd live for my little bro, didn't you?"_

_Yes, Aya-kun, I did…_

Lee answered in his head as he stared down at her. Then he looked up to his husband, expecting him to lean down and begin healing her. The smile was wiped off of his face when he saw the look on Gaara's face.

It was the same one he wore every time he was silently telling someone to let go.

"Gaara?…"

He shook his head.

"She's too far gone."

Kouga's shoulders sagged, the joy he had just been experiencing dying off instantly.

"What?"

"Her heart hasn't stopped, but she may as well be done."

Koi looked from Aya, to the breaking boy across from her, to her stricken mommy, to her daddy. Then her eyes went to the five men and one dog that had ever so silently entered the makeshift clearing.

Jun screamed, running to Aya's side and falling down, trying to find somewhere to grab her, but her stomach was ripped open, as well as her chest stabbed cleanly through.

Minamaru dropped to his knees where he was, his eyes staring with horror at the fallen figure. Kanaye stood behind him, his face set into blank disbelief. Samaie followed after his boyfriend, bringing the shattered boy into his arms.

Hitori remained where he stood, his face twisted into a growl as he looked at the still and bloodied form of his teammate. Oki began howling, sounding as sad as anyone could have believed.

Koi looked from one to the other then onto the next, until she had looked at everyone once, her eyes damp with her own tears.

"Don't cry, please… Everyone stop crying…"

She put one hand comfortingly on Jun's shoulder as the boy wailed into his boyfriend's waist. He was crying too hard to meet her gaze, but one hand came up and tightened around her tiny hand. Her eyes went to Kouga, who had put his head back on Aya's bloodied chest, his shoulders shaking. Then she looked to her mommy, who had tears slipping down his cheeks, pain clear in his eyes as he continued to stare up at daddy. She looked to Minamaru, who just stared ahead at his fallen buddy. Her grumpy brother looked subtly betrayed, and Hitori looked as if he wanted to take down the tree next to him…

Which he did with a curse, his fist hitting the bark and, with a groan, it fell before the force. No one reacted whatsoever to the sudden show of fury.

Oki continued to sing a sad song, head turned towards the moon.

"Please, stop crying… everyone…"

She put her other hand over Aya's heart, closing her eyes tightly so the tears would fall.

"Aya… Everyone's sad 'cause you're leaving…"

Her hand clenched, a green haze beginning to swerve and curve beneath her fingers, tangling itself over Aya's body and then spreading so it covered her like a second skin.

Around her, silence began to fall as the wounds across Aya's body began to close. Gaara blinked, looking down at his daughter with shock, then upwards to Lee, who was even more shocked.

When Koi had healed the bruise on Makato's arm, as well as her own scraped elbow, last year, he hadn't known that that had been what she was doing.

Koi whimpered, her hands trembling. She had never healed wounds like these. The closest she had ever came to something like this had been a wounded hawk back home. It had been grabbed by one of the wild dogs, and didn't look as if it would live…

When she had been done with it, it had flown away as if it wasn't hurt at all.

Hands at least three times larger than her own grabbed hers gently, lifting them slowly. She whined, looking up at her daddy with desperation. He couldn't stop her from making Aya better!

Gaara looked from his daughter, to the noticeably breathing woman. It was just subtly noticeable, but there all the same.

The level of healing he knew hadn't been nearly advanced enough to deal with the damage done to the woman. Yes, he had once healed Minamaru's gut wound, but that itself had been skirting the edges of his healing ability.

His daughter had just saved the life of a woman that was seconds away from dying… All by herself…

He knew the math. He had once been brought back to life, and that had killed the woman who had saved him, as well as attacking Naruto's reserve of chakra.

His three year old daughter would die if he let her finish.

Instead, he clenched her hands gently in his own, closing his eyes as he felt the flow of his own chakra. Ever so gently, he directed the powerful flow into his daughter, hearing her gasp at the sudden intake.

Koi's hands clenched, green chakra flaring from her hands into the body beneath them.

Kouga looked from Koi, to his sister, then sniffed.

"She's gonna be okay?"

He looked to Lee for assurance, who nodded, eyes soft as he looked at his daughter and husband share a moment. For a moment, Kouga began laughing with happiness, eyes alight as he looked down at his sister.

Very quickly, it died, his face paling as he looked down shamed into his own lap.

"She wouldn't be hurt if it wasn't for me… She's gonna hate me because I was being stupid!"

"… Someone… Slap him for me…"

Minamaru darted forward, eyes wide with disbelief as he skidded around over Aya's head. Oki began barking madly, tail wagging furiously as her tongue lolled out of her mouth. Kanaye blinked, then met eyes with a shocked Hitori. They both moved forward to circle around their comrade. Jun laughed happily against Samaie's waist, taking his face away from him to look down at his 'sister'. Lee chuckled, shaking his head slowly.

Koi and Gaara remained focused on what they were doing.

Aya snagged in a deep breath of air, eyebrows drawing slightly together, as her eyes fluttered open. At first, everything was dark and blurry, then, ever so slowly, everything began to come into focus.

She looked at her baby brother carefully, blinking a few times, then squinted, as she tried to see him clearly. When her vision was good enough, she could see the yellow peeking out from the emerald of his eyes, she grinned, albeit a bit strained.

"Hey, Little man…"

There was not a person on earth more happy than those around Aya in that moment.

_No one._

* * *

Finally! It's over with! No, not the story, just the drama. I made this story based solely on humor, not cults trying to kill off the man babies and everyone concerned with them.

Just a few more things to mention, than the Hito drama is fully over with… As a matter of fact, that could be just one chapter… Why the hell did I introduce another baby?


	60. Pain of Guilt

"Were we bad parents?"

Another hiccup, coupled with a sniffle, then with another bitten off wail.

The brunette had her face buried into the chest of a lilac eyed man, her hands clenched into the white fabric of his shirt. Her hair was, uncommonly, loose around them, falling to the bed in chocolate waves, wet from the shower she had just taken.

The man holding her had been the one to force her to take a shower, forced her to stop training so dangerously with her own weapons. He had forced her to stop not having control over herself. Blood and sweat and dirt had been rinsed down that drain, but the screaming mother was still in his arms.

He felt something for the boy he had sired, something aside from shame and fury. He felt a hole where memories of his son should have been. He had known, for some time now, that his son was…

On edge, dangerous, apathetic…

Uncaring and cold.

As a father, he should have overlooked it. As a Hyuuga, it had been all he had been able to see. Every time they trained, or went on a combined mission, his son was doing something to draw it out, to relish in the victory he knew was coming.

He was being merciless.

Snide remarks made about people, any person, while those being mocked were right there with him.

He was shameless.

… He _had_ been merciless. He _had_ been shameless…

He _had_ been dangerous.

Now, he was gone.

The man closed his eyes softly, whispering his lips through the sobbing woman's hair.

"No. We raised him as well as we could. Sometimes, evil isn't raised, but born."

The brunette ripped herself away from him, teeth grit and eyes fiery with insult.

"He wasn't evil."

He sighed, staring her in the eyes. He refused to let her hide from this. Once, he had hid from something like this. He had allowed himself to blame his uncle for something his father had willingly done.

Soon, if his wife didn't realize that the true fault rested with the very person who was dead, she was going to begin to blame someone else. And that someone else could be herself, or anyone in the world.

It could end up being him…

He wondered through his memories, trying to find fault in his fatherhood. He could think of times where work had came before his son. Those times had been… often enough… but hardly so often that his son became what had just attempted to kill his own mother, as well as destroy the Sabaku family, _and_ try to kill the Inuzuka children.

When he hadn't been there, his cousin or wife had been there in his stead. If not them, then his cousin's sister, or another Hyuuga member.

The further back he looked, the more he came to the assumption that his son truly had been born evil. Always, there was a fit being thrown, something that went missing, an animal that got killed or hurt, a person who had a sudden 'accident'… He should have known that his son would eventually try to take down something more intelligent than a cow, or horse. Out of the field, that was.

His cousin had been off on her own, trying to sort out how to deal with the situation, mourn for her lost heir, as well as decide to do next.

The longer the brunette stared into her husband's eyes, the weaker her resolve became. She remembered it all as well, and it was destroying her.

She fell back into his chest, her wails and screams beginning anew as she clutched at her belly.

She wasn't sure whether having a new life growing in her belly was a good idea, or a very bad one. But, in that moment, it calmed her and terrified her.

This child was their second chance. This child could also kill her just as it's brother had. This child could be good. This child could be evil. This child could hate them enough to try and kill them as well. This child could think that they were it's world. This child could save them, or curse them.

She clung tighter to her husband, burying her face into his long, brown hair. He held her closer, his lilac eyes conflicted.

Whether or not to love his son, despite what he had done… That was the true question.

"Tenshi."

His eyes flickered to the crown of his wife's head.

"What?"

"We're naming our child Tenshi."

There was solid resolve in her voice, leaving no space for argument, even for the Hyuuga. His one eyebrow shot up, stroking his wife's loose hair.

"And if he's a boy?"

"Well, he'll be named Tenshi."

Her voice was wobbly and scratchy from her tears and screams. Her eyes were focused steely forward.

"Our child will be named Tenshi, damn it."

He stared down at her, then nodded once, holding her all the tighter.

"Naming our child 'angel' isn't going to fool it into being good."

She sobbed, once, before she could control herself again.

"No… But I can fool myself…"

"No. If that's what you hope to do, then I will name our child Oni."

Her eyes flew to his resolved ones, seeing that there would be war.

"I will not name our child 'demon'!"

"I refuse to name our child in a way meant solely for your comfort of mind."

He brushed his lips over hers.

"We can name our child when the time comes for that. For now, mourn."

She did so, for many hours more, she cried, wailed, screamed, ripped at her hair, fought over nothing, and then quieted unexpectedly. Through the night, she clung to her husband, not blinking once as her tear stained face and red eyes stared blankly at the wall.

In the morning, a woman came to their room, announcing that they had visitors. The woman had assured them that they could stay in their room, that the visitor had followed her in.

The brunette welcomed her former teammate by throwing herself into his arms, sobbing and crying anew, dragging the boy who walked in with him into her arms as well. She tugged at his braid, as well as the boy's multi colored hair, demanding to know 'why?', then begged for forgiveness for what her son had did to his family, had done to Minamaru. The whole time, Lee allowed her to do as she wished, calmly rubbing her back, silently meeting eyes with his former team captain, then whispering to his female colleague that she was forgiven, that there was actually nothing to forgive, that it was going to hurt, but it would get better…

Minamaru seconded everything his mommy said, crying just as well as Tenten was. At one point, he stole her from his mommy's arms entirely, falling to the floor as they held each other, wept, and begged for each other's forgiveness.

The mother who had given birth to the child that had caused the harm, and the teenager that had killed that mother's child. Even as Lee picked them both up and took them over to the bed, settling them all into a nest with Neji.

For a whole day, Lee and Minamaru stayed with Neji and Tenten in their room. Only when Tenten fell asleep for a few minutes did he speedily leave the room, then return before her eyes opened, food and drink with him. He coerced her to eat, guiltily using her unborn child as leverage. Neji encouraged her to eat, accepting Lee's company with gratitude. Minamaru only continued to hold her, humming comfortingly under his breath as he helped her eat.

At exactly 12 a.m. that day, there wasn't even a knock at the door. Just a swirl of green that burst through the wood, fortunately opening the door, where their Sensei began shouting 'glorious' things.

Tenten laughed, the sound squeaky and old, but she welcomed him in with open arms, despite Neji's grimace. Regardless, Team Gai was reunited for one whole, beautiful day, plus Minamaru, who spiced it up all the more.

When night fell and Gaara appeared at the gates for his lover, Kanaye by his side, Tenten looked only softly haunted, clinging only softly to her husband. They, as well as Hinata, waved off their two green clad men as well as their rainbow colored boy, Gai and Lee sharing one more, though a very long, embrace as they happily shouted each other's names at one another. Minamaru walked to Kanaye's side as this happened, wrapping himself around the younger redhead, then disappearing in a swirl of black sand. Gaara only watching them briefly before turning his eyes back to the show before him.

Had it not been for Lee's braid, Tenten would have sworn they were all just children again. Children who only worried about the next mission. And, for a blink of any eye, she could see it. Herself wearing a pink vest, Neji in his pale, short sleeved one, Lee with his bowl cut, and Gai being Gai, all ready to break apart to go to their homes.

Then they did finally break apart, Lee almost flying at Gaara for a piggy back ride. And the moment was broken. Lee's braid was back, Gai's jet black hair became a charcoal shade again, and she and Neji were married.

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks, pain warring with happiness as a epiphany came to her.

Everyone was getting _old…_

* * *

XD Happy 6oth chapter! … Though, I can't quite say it's been a happy few chapter, has it? I shall get us around that!… Another day! I just typed up three chapters in one sitting…


	61. Oh, Christmas Tree

"It's… Big…"

"It's too much."

"We are _not _taking that back."

"That is just ridiculous."

"Oh, you're all just being party poopers! It's perfect!"

"It's beautiful!"

"Damn straight, don't you agree, little man?"

"I think it's awesome!"

"Oki?"

"Ruff! Ruff! Aroooooo!"

Aya stuck her tongue out at three dominant men and Jun, smug written in her eyes as she planted her hands on her hips. She wore a grey snow cap, coupled with a brown hoodie and brown leather boots lined with crème colored fur, to battle a winning war against the winter morning.

The drama of her near death was months over with. For the party she had been forced to have, by Minamaru of course, the immediate family had been invited. That, of course, meant a very large amount of people, ending with Aya nearly attacking Minamaru for planning it in the first place. Yes, she wouldn't have minded spending time with her gang, but she had not wanted all the parents and old people there too. She had wanted some calm, funny time, instead of so many people asking her how she was, if she was alright, etc, etc, blah blah blah…

She had had to spend a total of three weeks in the hospital. Though Koi had saved her life, healing her wounds to the point that green daddy had been able to speedily take her to the hospital, she was still three years old. She was truly gifted in the arts of healing, true, but she had never before studied human anatomy. Some of her wounds had had to be reopened, or broken again, to be set right.

However, Lady Tsunade had been so impressed, she had asked green daddy and raccoon daddy if she could tutor Koi. Green daddy had been ecstatic, while raccoon daddy… Not so much.

He had refused to make a choice for Koi that she may not want to take. As it turned out, Koi didn't want to grow up to be a healing nin, nor a shinobi. She wanted to be a teacher, like 'Momo's mommy'. Raccoon daddy refused to follow Lady Tsunade's advice and put her through training early anyway for when she changed her mind… as if she was certain that Koi _would _change her mind. It may have something to do with how raccoon daddy had been raised as a weapon…

Jun nibbled uncertainly at his bottom lip as he looked up, a white scarf wrapped around his throat as well as a white parka over his clothes. He wore plain green rubber boots to keep his feet from becoming wet, as well as one glove on his right hand.

The other hand was holding his boyfriend's, sharing heat as Samaie wore the other white glove on his left hand. He wore a thin dark violet jacket coupled with a pair of tennis shoes the same color. He had an eyebrow raised at his boyfriend's indecision, the barest of a smile appearing on his lips as humor flickered in his amber eyes.

Kanaye was wearing his usual mesh shirt under his tight black shirt. He wore his signature baggy black pants with a pair of scarlet tennis shoes. Despite the temperature being in the 30's, he was not at all bothered by the cold.

Minamaru, however, was shivering madly. He had tie-dyed his parka at one point or another, coloring it in such an array of colors, it matched his multi colored hair. He wore blue rubber boots with them, as well as a Santa hat over his head and a red scarf.

He was painfully colorful… And it suited him well.

Hitori, as usual, was looking blankly bored, his head tilted up as he looked as close to the top as possibly. He wore his Jounin vest with a black sweater beneath it, as well as hiking boots, to fight out the cold.

Kouga was on Aya's back, wearing a brown cap as well as a thick blue winter coat and black leather boots with black snow pants. Not much had changed since Aya's near death between them. Aya still growled every time she was forced to go anywhere with him and he still liked to annoy her.

It was the average brother, sister relationship.

However, he had begun to worship Koi. Not to the point that he was willing to touch her, her being a girl, hence cooties, but he was looking for the chance to pay her back for saving his sissy. So far, nothing had popped up, and he was torn in between that being a good thing or a bad thing. It would be really bad if someone tried to kill Koi, but that meant he was going to be in debt for a long time…

Koi was rubbing Minamaru's hands, concentration written on her rosy face. She wore a knit red cap on her head, white mittens, a knit red scarf, a red parka, coupled with white snow pants and tiny black rubber boots.

The epitome of cuteness. Which had proved to be a bad thing as Makato caught sight of her and decided he would have to tag along.

He was standing silently with them, wearing a storm grey spring jacket, despite it being winter, coupled with a simple pair of grey boots. There was a black scarf wound around his throat and mouth, giving him an uncanny resemblance to his father.

He stared upward with consideration in his ice blue eyes, then dismissed the object of interest.

"It will take forever to decorate."

He flipped another page of the Icha Icha novel in his bare hands, his fingers slightly red from the cold. Kouga growled down at him, rivalry intense in his eyes.

"Okay then, you just be a lazy perv, and we'll decorate it!"

He high fived his sister offered him, a proud smile on her face and a smug one on his.

Jun continued to look doubtful, meeting his boyfriend's gaze quizzically. Samaie returned it with a shrug, meeting Jun's eyes calmly. Hitori and Kanaye, however, remained certain.

There was no way in _hell_ they were taking that thing home.

Minamaru, Aya, Koi, and Kouga remained certain that they _were _going to take that thing home.

Majority winning, strengthened by just who it was that had won, made everyone put their own bit into it, taking their prize home.

That next morning, Naruto was dressed in his kage robes, a bowl of ramen in one hand, and hardly awake enough to realize he was already on his way to his office.

He stepped through the bottom floor entrance, and brushed pass a large spruce in the lounge room, ignorant of the wowed Jounin and chuunin in the room who were all looking up. It was once that he got to his office, a cup of tea in hand, the bowl of ramen empty, that the cup shattered and his eyes widened ridiculously, his mouth falling open. He stood up suddenly from his desk, slamming his hands onto the table as he stared with shock down at the ground as if he could see through it to the bottom floor where the ridiculously large tree had been.

Which, he actually could partially see, seeing as the tree was standing out of a large, circular hole in his floor and went out another hole carved into his ceiling, that had not been there when he had left last night.

"Why the HELL is there a tree in my floor!?"

"Ain't it beautiful!?"

He spun around, doom radiating off of him as he stared at Minamaru and Aya in his window. For a long moment, they continued to stare proudly back at his dark scowl, then, suddenly, he began growling.

"No."

Minamaru and Aya pouted, giving him their puppy dog looks.

They had no time to react as he jumped at them, nearly knocking them out of them out of the window before he managed to drag them into a hug.

"It's fucking amazing! Just wait till the teme-bastard see this! Oh, he'll freak!"

They smirked.

"Glad you like it!"

* * *

We now have a Christmas tree! Ain't that wonderful?


	62. Oh, Chrismas Chaos

_The Christmas party had been beautifully chaotic, just like any of their other gatherings. _

_Lady Tsunade, Shizune, Chouza, Shikaku, Hinata, Neji, and Tenten did not show up for the party. They had all decided to spend time among themselves, the Hyuuga's having their own gathering in their home, Shikaku and Chouza having their own reminiscence, and the two older women doing as they will. _

_Gifts had been exchanged; ranging from small, simple things, such as the new set of kunai given to Aya from Hitori; to large, just as simple things, such as the life sized teddy bear that Aya had gotten for Jun. _

_Pun had been intended, and Jun knew it, even as he squeezed the teddy to his chest and smiled happily. Apparently, Aya had expected the love the gift would receive, because her smile only grew._

_Makato's gift to Koi had had nothing to do with money, or material things. He had simply walked up to the small girl and told her in a bored tone:_

'_I'm growing my hair out for you.'_

_Koi had squealed as if she had just been given the greatest happiness on earth. Throwing herself at Makato, she had attached herself to him like another limb. Not that Makato complained about it… Not at all… He held her up the whole time he walked about the party, ignorant of the giggles, scowls, and snickers that accompanied the act._

_Seemingly, that gave Lee an idea. That prompted him to leap onto Gaara's back and demand a piggy back ride. Hence, the booming laughter that followed when Gaara willingly went about with an exuberant Lee on his back, holding his husband up with one arm, sipping at his eggnog with the other hand, and sharing the drink with Lee over his shoulder. _

_Nothing overly extravagant, or expensive, was given or taken this Christmas. _

_Not even the more noted gifts, exchanged from Lee to Gaara, as well as Minamaru to Kanaye, were either of the two. It could be said that they had planned this out, but they weren't speaking. _

_Again, inexpensive and simple. The stones were hardly precious, they had set them into the chain themselves, and the chains were also inexpensive. It was obvious, however, that it wasn't the wealth behind the gifts, but their clear meanings._

_Hours after opening gifts were done, Kanaye had the amethyst heart, held around his neck with a thin silver chain, gently in his hand as he studied it's facets once more. Gaara had been breathing slowly, eyes closed lightly, as he fingered the obsidian heart held around his own neck with a rust colored chain. Lee, by this point, was off of his back, but the slightly shorter man beamed by his side._

_Hitori had met with the Kazekage momentarily to ask when his return would be, the mission having succeeded. He was informed by the content redhead that he would be remaining during the duration of the last of the kage's ruling, unless fault was found, as an actual diplomat. _

_The startled bluenette had been bombarded by his Konoha team after the announcement, their glee in the news surprising him. He never said a word, but there was a content light shining through his grape colored eyes as he returned his kage's stare graciously. _

_Kosuke said his first word…_

_And it was to tell Makato to 'stop it, perv', all in one sitting. _

_He then proceeded to use his progressive walking skills to stand up, walk to the white haired boy's side, and slap him. If there was one thing Kosuke was aware of, it was that Koi was, metaphorically, his sister. And he was sick and tired of Makato molesting his sister! Koi had, of course, scolded Kosuke for hurting her 'friend', but Makato had been too busy laughing to listen. He found it to be the funniest thing that a baby had just attempted to threaten him. _

_Unaware of the baby's true threat, of course. An evilly glaring Uchiha stare directed at the heavily amused boy._

_Naruto had been cheering his son on up until Makato started laughing, then he had to be restrained by his teme-bastard so as not to attack his sensei's son. Kakashi had been proud, and Iruka had decided it was time to go home. It already being 10 at night had been them leeway out of the door, though there had still been some begging for them to stay. _

_With permission from Lee, Koi went with them to spend the night. Makato had been ecstatic, Koi had been ecstatic, Kosuke and Kouga had been pissed. Their 'sister' was going to go into unprotected territory! Kakashi assured them that Makato, no matter how perverted and intelligent he was, was not at that point, yet. Most certainly, he wouldn't be there until Koi knew what she was getting into._

_There had been some surprise that Kosuke, a two year old, and Kouga, a four year old, already knew about sex. Worrying, the surprise had been momentary and small. _

_For another hour, the party continued, Aya, Jun, and Minamaru disappearing for a half hour or so._

_Only Aya and Minamaru came back, Aya seemingly ticked about one thing or another, Minamaru looking evilly smug as he cooed about the room. _

_Minutes after their arrival, he was stalking after Kanaye, holding mistletoe above his head as he did so. Unfortunately, he passed Aya before he reached his original goal. _

_He had playfully returned Aya's modest kiss, both of them laughing loudly as they continued to spread the love by way of the mistletoe. It only became a larger affair when the poisonous plant left Minamaru's hand, and somehow duplicated itself six times._

_Minamaru joyfully bombarded his redhead lover, nearly crashing them to the ground in his excitement. After the initial curse, Kanaye wrapped his arms firmly about Minamaru's waist, holding the boy against his chest as he continued the attack with force, lips locked and tongues tied. Minamaru's hands tangled into Kanaye's hair, allowing himself to be fully supported by the Sabaku._

_Chouji blushed a healthy pink as Shikamaru leaned over lazily to begin with a peck to the large nin's cheek, then perversely moved on to devour the honey haired boy's lips. Shikamaru was seemingly bored as he molested his husband with the excuse of the mistletoe… if no one were to notice his smirk, that is._

_Kiba cackled as he looked from the floating plant to his lover, a large canine grin on his face as he pulled down the bottom half of his lover's foliage, licking the other nin's lips before breaking through them. He fought a war when he entered, which he battled long and hard at, tongues slipping against each other, teeth clacking, air burning. Of course, Shino was a team leader. As such, he lead without Kiba realizing he was doing so. Kouga watched from where he was leaning against Akamaru and Oki as pillows, his mouth set into a grimace as he winced, attempting to look away, but the horror continued to hold his eyes. _

_Sasuke had scowled up at the plant, his son sharing the emotion as he too glared at it. He knew for a fact, having been paying attention to people this year, that that thing was poisonous. Why people left it hanging around, he didn't know. Why people started randomly kissing beneath it, he didn't know. What he did know, as he looked away from the plant to instead glare at his father, was that the random kissing had to stop, and his mommy had to stop enjoying it so much. Especially when his mommy ended up throwing his arms around both him and his dad when he went about doing it._

_Unsurprisingly, it was Lee who happily attacked Gaara by means of the mistletoe, almost squealing for joy as he leaped into the Kazekage's arms and threw them into a heated kiss, lips pressed as close as possible and tongues touching tentatively. Gaara held him up, eyelids drooped contently as he watched his husband enjoy himself, pleasured as well by the activity._

_Aya looked up with horror and disbelief in her eyes, her gaze flickering from the distracted glass nin, back up to the plant held above her head. By her side, Hitori looked up as well, staring blankly at the plant. Ever so slowly, his narrowed eyes found Minamaru as well, a scowl deep set into his purple eyes as he realized that this meant the teen knew. After a moment, Aya's horror disappeared as she sighed, submitting herself to her fate. She leaned up, pressing her lips to Hitori's cheek, then dropped back down again, resigned to waiting for Hitori to return the affection. Instead of being as modest, Hitori went with curiosity. He did indeed learn that Aya still tasted of mint and cake, a peculiar taste, but very nice. Aya sputtered, shock on her face as she leaned away from her team captain. The surprise was short lived as she glowered at the man. She should have known he wouldn't do anything half-assed, he never had before._

_Samaie stood painfully alone during the affectionate humor, frowning as he looked subtly about himself for his boyfriend. Minamaru and Aya caught the searching gaze anyway, and a secret light entered both of their eyes. _

_Once the mistletoe extravaganza was over, people began to dissipate, leaving for home so they could bask in the Christmas season with those that were most closest to them._

_Everyone took their immediate family with them as they went to their own homes, temporary in the case of the Sabaku's. What leftovers had been left had gone with those that had wanted them, which meant that the Nara-Akamichi family had the majority of it, then Naruto had stolen his fair share, and Lee had snuck some as well. _

_Samaie, out of all of those people, were one of the two who went home alone; and even they did not walk alone the entire way. He walked part of the way there by the side of the loner of the group, Hitori's, snickering most of the way as he stared knowingly at the Suna diplomat. He saw the little scene that had gone down with Aya, and he knew damn well it hadn't been Hitori's not wanting to forego modesty. Otherwise, they shared a companionable silence, before the man broke off to go to the barracks. Samaie made his turn, and arrived home minutes later._

* * *

Short and sweet. I like this better then something that would have taken me hours to write. I feel a writer's block coming on, so I'm keeping it light.

And, yes, the chapter is supposed to be italicized. It seemed so short, I felt it had to be so.


	63. Oh, Christmas Love

'_Please let him not laugh at me, please let him not laugh at me!'_

Jun fiddled, again, with the maroon colored bow tied around his neck. The ribbon was ridiculously large, constricting, even. He bit more deeply into the tender flesh of his lips, rearranging the covers over his hips again, then putting them back where they had been. He stared down at the light brown sheets, considering placing them back where they had just settled a moment ago.

He was as nervous as nervous could define.

He took a deep breath, sat down on his knees, and attempted to center himself, hands clasped tightly in his lap as he focused inward.

It had been the most difficult thing ever, to get Aya to help him prepare, but he had managed to get her _and_ Arune to help him look sexy.

The lighting of his room was on dim, his dark honey locks were loose about his face and shoulders. Beneath the ribbon and blanket, he was entirely naked, but newly bathed, making the dark honey locks darker than usual as they drooped about him.

It was as cheesy as he had managed Aya and Arune to get. Both of them were sure that there were better settings to lose one's virginity in, but Jun brushed it off.

'Aya, you've never even done it before.'

'Arune, you're lover is insane… I'm sorry, but it's true…'

Which had been exactly what he had said to both of them. Regardless, they had continued to fight their case, even as they went about his apartment and room, figuring out what to do with what.

He had moved out of his parent's home last year, renting an apartment with Samaie until they could find something that… fit them.

As well as that, neither of them had been sure if they had had the time for finding a larger, more permanent, home, what with Jun having been so busy and Samaie moving up in ranks.

Jun was now the not-so-proud-as-he-was-scared boyfriend of an ANBU officer.

He wanted this… Before they lost their chance. He was certain that Samaie was strong enough to always come back home, but life wasn't certain in a shinobi's lifestyle.

That was the exact argument he had used on Aya earlier that night so she wouldn't try to stop him. It had surprised him how quickly it had worked on her. She had kept scowling, but she had supported him.

Now… Now Samaie had to get home before he lost his strength to do so.

He jumped as he heard the front door open and close silently, almost too quiet for him to hear, but sounding like it had been slammed so with the tension filling Jun.

There was stillness just outside of the closed bedroom door. Jun could hear his breathing beat at his chest, as well as hear his heart speed away from him. It took everything in him to not grab the blanket and throw it over himself.

"Jun, I was hoping you wouldn't be asleep by now..."

The sighing voice said, as the violet haired man opened the door.

For three long minutes, Jun sat quivering in Samaie's blank amber stare. After those three minutes, he forced himself to choke in a deep breath, and smile. It felt awkward, but it also felt right, somehow.

"Merry Christmas…"

Ever so slowly, Samaie walked to the bed, never looking away from Jun. He dropped himself onto his knees on the bed, then onto his hands to crawl to Jun's side. The honey haired boy became more and more red as Samaie's eyes wondered from his to rake them down his body, doing a very slow once over that made Jun shiver.

They had seen each other naked before. They had given oral, as well as hand, jobs to each other. They had taken showers together, slept bare with each other…

They had just… never progressed this far with each other…

Jun could understand why that made this all the more different, like a new beginning.

Samaie whispered his lips over Jun's, reaching behind himself, then for Jun's left hand. There was a slight pressure over Jun's ring finger, then Samaie brought the hand up to his lips.

"Merry Christmas."

Jun blinked, face flushed and almond brown eyes embarrassed and hazy, looked down at his hand…

And stared…

Spontaneously, he threw himself onto his boyfriend, crashing their lips together, cutting his own laughter short as he wrapped his arms around Samaie's shoulders and held on tightly.

They broke apart from each other moments later, Jun radiating happiness as he looked from one of Samaie's eyes to the other, disbelief and coming true dreams shining through his own.

"Is this for real?"

Samaie smiled, nodding as he met brown orbs sincerely. Jun choked on tears and laughter that were both trying to appear at the same time. He ended up doing both as he rained kisses over his boyfriend's face.

A second later, he yelped as he was suddenly rolled over, Samaie ending up on top of him as amber eyes raked over his now entirely bared boy, the blanket having slipped away in the embrace. He drifted one hand from Jun's chest to his hips, mouth coming to gap open ever so slightly as his eyes glazed over.

"Can I indulge in my gift?"

Jun's entire body, a rich shade of coffee cream, turned red under his boyfriends- no- _fiancé's_ hungry gaze. Shyly, he squeaked, meaning to say 'yes', but not quite able to. Samaie smirked, tangling his right hand with Jun's left as he lowered his head and began sucking at Jun's delicate skin, almost entirely unmarked aside from some faded scars randomly about his body.

"This is definitely the best Christmas ever."

Jun could only nod, whimpering as the hand not holding his own began to stroke his length.

His left hand clenched in Samaie's hand as the dominant began torturously teasing him.

On his ring finger, a simple gold band with a simple phrase etched into it shone in the dim bedroom lights.

'_I am always going to love you'_

For Jun, it was the greatest night of his life. Everything was soft and gentle, slow and overwhelming.

For Samaie, it was better than he had ever before imagined. Every sound that escaped his lover, every touch and taste of him, drove him all the closer to the edge.

When they came together, not one curse was uttered. Long groans sounded, and Jun's small nails dug into Samaie's shoulders as Samaie's fingers bruised the flesh of Jun's hips. Jun's essence spurted between them, a quick spurt of white that clung to their bellies and chests.

Samaie bucked as Jun's flesh pulsed about his length, squeezing with unbearable force. His jaw clenched as he spurted his own essence into the honey haired boy, his head bowing to reconnect their lips once more as he continued to automatically thrust into Jun as he rode out his orgasm.

Samaie collapsed to Jun's side, dampened in his sweat, body shuddering, and dragged Jun to him, kissing him deep and hard, the honey haired boy also covered in his sweat, and shaking more violently, his eyes hazy with pleasure as they stared into Samaie's.

They broke apart, a languid smile on Jun's face as he caressed Samaie's face.

"I love you… _so_ much"

Samaie smirked, kissing the ring he had put on Jun's fingers as it rubbed against his lips.

"You are mine now, Jun. Forever mine."

Jun wrapped himself loosely around his lover and fiancé, his smile dreamy.

"The same can be said for you, Samaie."

They nuzzled into each other, happily falling into each other as Christmas night wore into the night after.

* * *

In her bed, not even a mile away, Aya was scowling up at the ceiling.

Had she not known that Samaie planned on marrying Jun, the man having asked them all to secretly meet him at the pond without the honey haired boy and then asked for their approval, stating that he already had that of their parents, she would have never let it happen.

Yet, of course, Samaie had gone through all the trouble of asking everyone, some of them people who shouldn't even have to be asked, and she had had to say yes.

She knew that Jun was in love with the boy. She didn't have to like that her 'brother' was going to have sex, but she had to be happy, both with and against her will, that he was happy.

She scratched Oki behind the ear, closing her heavy lidded eyes with a sigh.

At least Hitori was going to be staying… It seemed as if she had just lost a little more ground of where she stood.

* * *

I do plan on eventually doing a full out SamaieJun smut, but not this time around. Yes, I made the Christmas chapter ridiculous, but it's the best I got in me for now… I'm sorry…


	64. I'm engaged!

Jun stretched his arms above his head, walking into the kitchen. A grin was still on his face, his hair mussed and wild from the night before. He wore a small pair of white shorts, just the hem of them peeking out from beneath Samaie's dark purple shirt. It drooped just slightly off of one shoulder, Jun being more supple then muscular.

Red marks were scattered all across his skin, from his ankles to his neck to his wrists, they were found everywhere. With every step he made, a slight sting shot up his back, causing him to flinch every time.

If his life depended on it, that grin would not leave his face as he went about making his breakfast, shivering every time he caught sight of the ring on his left hand.

He paused in making the French toast, a bag of sweet and sour chips in hand, sausage sizzling in the frying pan, and the toaster popping toast.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder, smiling largely.

"Hi, Aya!"

He threw himself at her, nearly knocking the dog nin to the ground, and would have, except she landed against the wall behind her, cursing slightly as she reflexively grabbed a hold of him.

"What was that for?"

He ignored her growl, shoving his hand in her face as he began giggling, a pleasant blush across his face. Aya's eyebrow shot up, then she looked to the ring on Jun's finger.

He was so busy giggling, his eyes shut as he held his other hand to his lips, he didn't see the sad smile on Aya's lips as she hugged him. By the time he opened his eyes again to see her reaction, she was playfully rolling her eyes, a small smirk on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful, uke love. Where is the lucky man, anyway?"

He frowned, eyebrows drawing slightly together.

"He went to the store… You don't sound so surprised."

She dropped him, leaving Jun to land on his feet, as she ruffled his hair.

"Your man is _such _a gentleman, he asked everyone in our huge fucking family for permission to get legal with you."

Jun stared at her for a moment, then the flush came back and his eyes filled with disbelief and awe.

"Really?"

She nodded, scowling down at him as she moved around him, taking up the spatula and flipping some sausage, grabbing the toast and throwing it down on a plate with the other hand.

"Really."

Jun continued to stare at where Aya had been standing for long moments, tears hazing over his eyes.

"He went through all that trouble to marry _me_? I-I mean… _Everyone_?"

Aya nodded again, though she was pretty sure Jun couldn't see her. She began snickering as she turned the stove off, evil dancing in her eyes as she went to the fridge and poured herself some orange juice.

"Would you like to know who gave him the most trouble? Hint: It wasn't either of your parents, and not anyone else's parents."

Jun blinked, blindly going about making the plates as Aya sat herself down at the table, kicking her feet out as she huddled into the chair. The snow had been coming down heavy on her way here, which showed with how her hair was soaked as the heat of the house continued to melt the snow that had gotten captured there, her shoes in the other room were crusted with the melting powder.

"… Was it Kanaye?"

For some reason, he could see it being Kanaye. The redhead considered them his family, so maybe he had been the protective one?

Aya's smirk grew, shaking her head no. Jun's eyebrows drew together in confusion, trying to think of anyone else…

"…Hitori?…"

He was their team captain… And he was protective of them.

Again, no. Her smirk grew all the more as she sipped at her juice.

Three minutes passed, and he just could not think of anyone else.

"Okay, I give… Who was it?"

"Jun!"

The honey haired boy yelped as a rainbow flashed into the kitchen and tackled him against the counter, lifting him high in a hug. He returned it when he realized who it was.

"Hey, Arune… I can't breathe."

Whether he cared, he didn't show it. Over the boy's shoulder, Jun caught Aya's knowing gaze as she flickered her eyes from him, to Minamaru, then back, the smirk becoming impossibly wide.

Just like Jun's eyes became when he realized what that meant. He smiled, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"I love you too, Arune."

Minamaru's eyebrows drew together in confusion, but he just kept smiling, ruffling Jun's hair in an Aya kind of matter.

"Aww, thanks Jun!"

Then he took it a step further by slapping Jun's ass, cackling evilly as the honey haired man yelped and flushed brightly, rubbing his backside.

"Tell us _everything_."

Jun whimpered, looking to Aya for support.

For the next half hour, he found none from either. After that, Samaie came back, growling about sudden snowstorms and Kakashi…

Why Kakashi, it was simple. _As if_ the older man would not stalk a newly made lover and take his time congratulating them.

He came through his own front door, walked into his kitchen, and saw his lover stained red with embarrassment, surrounded where he sat at the chair, Aya and Minamaru looking as evil as damn oni.

Regardless of what they were to Jun, he gave them enough time to put their coats and shoes back on, then kicked them out into the snow. Not that they cared, laughing as hard as they were.


	65. Scare a Hoe

"Where were _you_ Christmas day?"

Lee momentarily stopped pounding on the training post, looking behind him curiously to see who the woman was talking to. The blonde giggled when the raven haired man's bewildered gaze met her own lustful one.

Lee blinked, looked about him again to assure himself the woman was talking to him, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head when he realized they were the only two there. He smiled apologetically.

"I was having a family reunion… Why do you ask?"

The blonde smiled coyly, scraping her brown eyes over the form before her. The man had _muscle_, a braid drooping down his back to the small of his back. He wore a short pink shirt over his perfect chest, an orange sash holding up the _tightest_ pair of green pants she had ever seen on a man, showing off quite a package as he turned to stare at her directly. She easily ignored the clashing colors of the alphet, together with the orange legwarmers. It was winter, so she could overlook it… Even if he was wearing a short sleeved shirt with only white bandages wrapped about his arms…

Very _well_ muscled arms.

And a tight ass, too.

He wasn't overly muscled, such as most men she had seen that had tried to show off. It was a subtle shift beneath the bandages, and only subtly shown beneath the loose shirt. But she had just seen him explode three, seven inch thick, wooden posts. Again, the tight ass drew attention.

_I knew the best men could be found in Konoha… I should have came earlier._

She walked forward, stretching a hand forward for the tanned man to shake, with he did with vigor, smiling welcomingly, if not still slightly confused.

"My name is Yuuki Yuu. What's yours, handsome?"

A slight blush tinged Lee's cheeks as he blinked in surprise, the smile remaining on his face anyway.

"I am Sabaku no Lee! It is a pleasure to meet you, Yuuki-san."

She giggled, tilting her head cutely as she thrust her chest forward. Secretly in her head, she growled when he didn't even bother to look down, keeping her eyes respectfully. That was secretly, however. She smiled happily for him to see.

"You are such a gentleman."

Then her eyebrows drew together in a frown as the name rang a bell, as well as the ring on the man's left ring finger.

_Aw, damn… He's married…_

She eyed the man considerately, then the ring, then the man's confused look as he followed her gaze to his ring. After three moments of puzzled silence from the man, Yuuki came to the conclusion that it would be _worth it_.

She tried the breast thrusting again, this time brushing them against the man's stretched arm. Lee frowned deeply as he took his arm sharply away, bowing at the waist and apologizing continuously.

Yuuki smiled graciously, waving her hand in pardon.

"It's alright, Lee… Maybe you could come to my house for a cup of tea! I'm sure there is something we could talk about. You see, I live in one of the villages not to far from here. My father wishes to move here so my baby brother can go into the ninja academy. Maybe you could give me a tour at some point!"

Lee lifted his head to look at Yuuki, then smiled excitedly.

"Yosh! I would be privileged to give you a tour of this great village!"

She ignored the thumbs up and blindly white smile, her gaze dropping down to where the shirt slid up slightly to show the beginning of a wonderful pair of abs.

She could hardly wait to get him to her house.

"I am sure you will find Konoha to your liking, Yuuki-san!"

"Oh, I think I've already found it to my liking, _Lee_…"

He, again, frowned, looking at the back of the woman's head suspiciously. Was she…?… No, most definitely not. He shook the notion away, following her to her home, animatedly talking about the great hidden village.

She listened distractedly, more focused on what he would be like in bed.

Abruptly, a yelp came from behind her, making her spin around with surprise to look at what happened. The surprise turned into bewilderment when she saw that her new interest was tackled to the ground by some strange looking people.

One of them looked like a very slim woman with hair colored red, white, blue, green, and purple, her back to her. The other girl was facing her, upside down red triangles on each cheek, opaque eyes staring mockingly at Yuuki. There was a large wolf by her side, happily licking Lee's face as grey eyes peeked curiously at her. The most normal of the group was a almond eyed boy with honey brown hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail, holding onto Lee's neck and looking at Yuuki as if she were something diseased.

"Hey, green daddy! Who's your new… 'friend'?"

Lee frowned as he caught the emphasizes, but said nothing towards it as he smiled widely, standing to his feet with Minamaru attached to his front, Jun to his shoulder, and Aya to his back, Oki shaking enthusiastically at his feet.

"Aya-kun! Jun-kun! Roo-roo, and Oki-chan! This is Yuuki Yuu-san! She is a new arrival to this great village of the Fire country!"

Aya smirked, eyeing the woman who was now appearing anxious. Minamaru turned his head around to look at her as well, cackling when shock blinked across the blonde's face.

"Hi, Yuuki! Have you been enjoying my_ mommy's _company?"

Yuuki flinched, eyes widening to disk like shapes.

"What do you mean, 'mommy'?"

Yeah, she knew the man was married, but… What the hell? Shouldn't they say 'daddy', if anything else? Maybe he was a widow…

That would be nice.

Minamaru giggled, an evil glint in his eyes as he met Aya's and Jun's momentarily. Oki's tail began wagging furiously.

"I mean he's my mommy! And raccoon daddy, his _hubby_, sent us to come find him and take him back home!"

Her confusion was clear now, as well as growing horror.

"Lee, why is that boy calling your wife 'hubby'?… Or 'raccoon daddy'?"

Because that would be for it to be assumed that this man's wife was…

Lee frowned at the name, holding Minamaru protectively to his chest as if he had just been insulted.

"His name is Minamaru, not 'that boy'. He has always called my red head devil of a husband 'raccoon daddy'! There is no wife in my relationship."

Yuuki looked so horrified, she was swaying on her feet, having an epiphany.

"You're a_ fag?_! Oh my god, I shook your hand!"

Lee blinked in hurt surprise, the disgust clear on the woman's face wounding him.

"There is nothing wrong with loving someone of the same sex if there is love and passion to hold us together!"

Lee proudly held up a fist of resolution to prove his point, allowing Jun to touch the ground once more. The Nara-Akamichi had a stricken look on his face, accompanied by the offended one on Arune's and the dangerous one on Aya's. Aya leaned over Lee's shoulder to look knowingly into Minamaru's eyes.

Arune smiled happily, touching his feet to the ground to merrily drag the green clad man away, taking Jun with him.

"Come on, mommy! We need to get you to raccoon daddy! He said he wanted you immediately!"

Jun looked at Minamaru with curiosity in his eyes, then knowingly looked back to Aya who stayed behind. Aya listened till she could no longer hear green daddy loudly declaring that he would get to raccoon daddy with all speed, then return to finish the tour.

Aya stepped forward, putting a hand to each hip as she tilted her head up to look demeaning down at the woman.

"Are you homophobic, miss little hoe?"

Yuuki sputtered, looking red in the face.

"What did you just call me?"

Aya took an aggressive step forward.

"I called you miss little hoe. Can you deal with that?"

Yuuki stepped back, looking from the woman to the growling wolf by her side. Aya stepped forward to eliminate the created space between them, cackling in the back of her throat as she eyed the blonde with killer interest.

"You know… We've had to kill for green daddy before… If I have to show a little outsider the difference between someone who backs down and someone who stands up, I will do it."

Aya growled at the slowly retreating woman, the mocking in her eyes flaming up into fury.

"You disgust me! I know you saw the ring, we've been watching you try and jump him. Little brother? Ha! I bet you were planning on making a little boy with green daddy, but you sure as all hell don't have a little brother! Trying to sleep with a married man. I would have laughed my ass off when you found out he was gay, but then you had to go and act so homophobic in a village where the kage is male, has a husband, and who is allied to another kage who is a man, and has a male wifey."

She smirked humorlessly, pointing a finger behind herself to where Lee had disappeared, advancing on the woman as she looked about herself with horror and desperation on her face.

"Would you like to know something? 'Sabaku' is the family name for the Wind country kage, his two siblings, two sons, one daughter, and one hubby. One of those sons and the daughter, the man you were just trying to jump gave birth to."

When the horror turned to absolute disgust and the blonde attempted to wipe the hand she had used to shake the man's hand against her pant leg, Aya's face became dark with fury. She gave a violent step forward, slamming her foot to the ground, and watched with sick humor as the blonde yelped and fell to the ground, looking up with fear in her brown eyes.

"Now get yo whitey tighty ass out of my territory, hoe."

She laughed as the woman scurried to her feet and ran away, scratching Oki's ear as she watched the retreat.

"Don't ever fucking mess with my family again!"

"I expected you to knock her on her ass."

Aya gave an angry smirk over her shoulder to her former captain, now diplomat, turning her back on the far away blonde.

"She's still a civilian, even if she's filthy."

As she walked away, Hitori pushed away from the wall to walk beside her, consideration in his eyes.

"Since when have you called people 'filthy'? Are you using it in the context of what their personalities are like, or by their physical appearance?"

Aya glowered at the street before her, a distant look in her hate filled eyes.

"Anyone who makes me feel dirty for even talking to them. The kind of people you can feel rubbing off on you, but it's not the happy rainbow kind of things that you want to be impressed with."

"The kind of things that make you do terrible deeds and keep you up half the night trying to reason to yourself was necessary?"

Aya stilled, one foot raised to take the other step, her eyes frozen forward. Hitori paused as well, still looking forward as well. Aya didn't meet his eyes as she began moving again, a dead calmness in her eyes.

"Has anyone told you not to watch people over night?"

"I only watch over people I'm concerned with. There are more reasons than just the attempted murder against you and your brother two months ago for why you have not been on the field."

Aya scowled, Oki looking up at her with concern.

"I know. You had no right to demand for me to be off the field for so long."

Hitori stopped suddenly, his eyelids flinching as his mouth parted just slightly.

Aya buried her head further into the space between the bluenette's shoulder blades, her arms wrapped tightly about his waist. She held herself there for three minutes, rubbing her face into the green material of his Jounin vest, her eyes closed tiredly.

"But, thanks… I needed it."

She held the embrace for another minute, sniffing curiously.

"By the way,"

She broke away finally, moving around him to continue walking ahead of the frozen bluenette.

"You smell sweaty. Take a shower."

* * *

Life is good… I just scared a hoe and set something straight! I love how easily Lee walked away…


	66. Know a Friend

"Awwww… It's okay, Moko, I don't wanna go too."

Koi patted Makato's wild white hair, an agreeing smile on her face. She continued to hold his left hand with her right as she did so.

Makato smiled, ignoring the incorrect phrase, as he pulled the younger girl into a hug.

"Maybe I can kidnap you and your family will let me get away with it."

Koi giggled, snuggling into Makato's warmth for a moment, her cheeks rosy from the winter cold, her nose a small cherry. Her black hair was wind blown, her red cap not on her on her head, but at home, as well as her white gloves. Her small white boots were caked with snow as they trudged down a trail back home.

Koi had four roses tucked into her red parka, almost squirming with excitement. They had just came from the Yamanaka flower shop, Koi wanting to get pretty flowers for her family before they left, because such pretty flowers couldn't be found anywhere in the Wind country.

For the way back home, they had decided to take a wood trail. Why? Because Koi had wanted to. No more reason needed.

Makato chuckled as he observed this, then the joy was wiped right off of his face as his eyes shot to his left, placing Koi mostly behind himself as he glared angrily into the line of trees beside them. Koi looked at him curiously, then blinked in bewilderment as two large men stepped out onto the trail, laughing loudly.

She waved at them in greeting, thinking they would just go around them. Makato grabbed her hand, lowering it back to her side, as he glowered at the two.

The two men started to move around Makato and Koi from opposing directions, cackling as they looked down at the two. That was when Koi realized _why_ Makato was being so mean.

These men were about to get mean.

She attempted to move around Makato to shield him, but was unsuccessful as Makato continued to hold her close to him, his eyes switching between the two men.

"Hey, friend! Isn't that the kaze's daughter? Heard she was pretty damn good with stitching people back together."

The other man snickered, his eyes focused on Makato as his friend kept his fixed on Koi.

"She'd be good ransom… Ain't that the shadow cat nin's son? I could think of a few good people who'd pay for him!"

Koi squirmed to try and hide the taller boy behind herself, looking more and more alarmed.

"Moko, it sounds like they want to sell us!"

"Moko? What are ya two? Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

He busted out into laughter, gripping his midsection as his partner did.

"How cute! Maybe we'll sell ya'll to the same person so you can both grow up together!"

When they both looked down to where the two would be, they were both pissed to discover that…

They weren't there anymore.

"Where the hell did they go?"

"How would I know, you dip shit?! You were supposed to keep an eye on those kids!"

One hit the other, which was quickly returned, before they cursed again, and moved down opposite ways of the trail, screaming at each other to find the brats.

Makato watched them from the very tree line they had first came out of, a dry expression of hatred on his face as he stood in front of Koi, who had her arms wrapped about his waist to keep him from going after them.

He may be a genius, as well as gifted, but he wasn't _that_ good. They may have acted stupid, but chances were, they knew one thing or two if they were planning on capturing some children of powerful Jounin.

He was still tempted, though. Those bastards had just tried to kidnap Koi and take her away from him! He knew for a fact that the 'selling them together' was a joke, as well as a bad one. He had no plans of being sold, or having Koi being sold either.

"Koi, you get home, okay? Give your mom, dad, and brothers your roses, then tell them we have some kidnappers wondering around. Do you understand?"

Koi frowned, tightening her arms around him as he moved to follow after one of the offenders.

"No. You're coming with me, Moko, and _we_ can get help."

Makato smiled, turning around and pecking her on the lips.

"I'll be just fine, Koi. Did you see how easy that was?"

"But they are going to sell you if they catch you! You'll be like a pack of meat! They'll skin you and cut you up and give you away and I'll never be able to piece you back together-"

"Koi, where are you getting this?"

Makato was more amused then furious at this point, but he was still waiting for the perfect moment to get Koi out of there and follow after the two. Koi sniffled.

"What else would they be talking about when they say they're gonna sell you?"

"Something entirely different, little girl."

Makato scowled, looking up the branches to where the feminine voice had came. A blonde with brown eyes looked down at them, disgust in her gaze.

"Now, be a good boy, and hand her over. Maybe we'll even let you go if you do so!"

She landed softly in front of them, kneeling so she was eye level with them. She smiled, opening her mouth to say something, when her eyes widened to the size of saucers, looking up as a lot more white haired boys poofed into existence.

"You two idiots! Get your asses over here and help me find these brats!"

She screamed as she began destroying the clones, trying to find a head of black among the white, almost positive that the real boy would be the one with the girl.

Even if it wasn't, they still had to find the girl.

A moment later, she was face down in the white cold ground, her eyes blank as she fell unconscious do to the hit she had just received.

Makato dragged Koi silently away from the woman, eyes shifting about himself, his ice blue eyes untrusting as they followed each miniscule of movement and sound.

"Hey, kid! Look up."

Makato, who cursed himself the very next moment, did so. Even as he shoved Koi out of the way, the only thing he saw was the fist flying right towards his face-

Then he saw nothing…

* * *

"You better be coming around, you idiot, 'cause you're both way to heavy to be carrying at the same time."

Makato's eyelids flittered open, his ice blue eyes uncomprehending.

Then he cursed harshly, his head shooting up -despite the sharp pain that came with it- and looked about himself, devising a plan to get him and Koi out of the trouble they were in.

"Hey! Stop moving so much, or we're all goin' to fall!"

Makato blinked, then looked down at who was carrying him with narrowed eyes.

Not only did he know that voice, he knew the head of black, as well as the emerald green eyes glaring at him over the boy's shoulder.

"Kouga, I appreciate whatever it is you did, but you can put me down now."

The Inuzuka did so with relish, expecting for the white haired boy to fall on his ass. Unfortunately, Makato was as fluid like as ever, landing smoothly on his feet, looking coldly about himself.

He relaxed somewhat when he saw Koi blissfully unconscious against Kouga's chest, her hands folded to her mouth.

Kouga scowled at the white haired boy, meeting the confused look on the white haired boy's face with one of irritation. The irritation exploded into anger when Makato made the release no jutsu.

Nothing happened in effect to the jutsu.

"What?"

"What did you do? There were three of them, how did you get us out of there?"

Kouga rolled his eyes, shoving the sleeping girl into Makato's arms and wiping his hands on his pant legs.

"I kicked some ass just like I know my sis would have done… Except, I was less violent."

Makato held Koi close to his chest, giving a visual check of her to assure himself she was alright. He saw a bruise forming on her cheek, and mentally began preparing very painful homicides when he found the people to hand them out to.

After long moments of the inspection, he turned his eyes to his rival, eyeing him as well. There were bruises and scratches marring every other inch of his bared skin, his snow pants missing as well as his winter coat, leaving behind a short sleeved shirt that had a tear in it as well as a pair of jogging shorts, which were drooping with how wet they were with winter snow.

"Why?"

Makato shifted Koi in his arms to remove himself of his own coat, handing it to the slightly shivering boy. For another second, Kouga scowled down at the offered warmth, met Makato's accepting eyes, then took the dry, grey material from him, slipping it over his shoulders.

"I owe Koi for saving my sis."

His chin was turned up in a 'it doesn't matter so much' way. Makato's eyebrow shot up as he watched the display, looking from him to _his _Koi. He looked back up when Kouga stepped forward, lifting up a fist -most likely to hit Makato for his bad care of Koi- and gently knocked it against Makato's shoulder, a canine smirk on his face as he met the white haired boy's surprise with smugness.

"Besides, why would I leave my bud behind?"

Makato blinked, fazed by the brotherly affection, then smiled easily, returning the affection.

"Because I annoy the hell out of you. Now, let's get home and give the coordinates for the kidnappers."

They walked side by side, companionably silent for most of the way. Then Kouga scowled, looking from the mumbling girl to the content boy.

"You need to stop spoiling her so much!"

"Awww, do you want a hug?"

"_Don't fuckin' touch me!"_

"I thought so."

* * *

Damn you drama! You have stalked me from the Hito drama! I HATE YOU!!! But, yeah, I had to fit this in here somehow. It was ridiculously spaced out and dotted name's idea for the last part, and I needed to get that to come around. So, anyway, write me some love, please.


	67. Get Pregnant

"Lady Tsunade, thanks for doing this for me."

The older woman scowled down at Minamaru, who was dress in a hospital gown, not even bothering to hold the back of it shut, as he followed her down an overly familiar hall to an overly familiar room.

The boy was 16, but he had somehow managed to talk her into performing a surgery that was meant for those 18 years and older.

It could be because he had reasoned that Sakura would never continue the procedure. Why, they weren't sure yet, but they knew she wouldn't. She may have saved so many lives so many times over and risked her life for friends, but she had distanced herself from them since she had realized they were gay.

It seemed that she was homophobic, which had made Aya all the more cold towards her.

It could be because she knew that Minamaru's father was Orochimaru, and she wanted to be alive for the duration of his child's life to assure herself that they didn't receive any of those genes.

It could be for many reasons, but it all came down to one thing: She was doing it anyway.

"Be sure this is what you want, kid, because you can't turn back once the surgery begins, do you understand?"

Minamaru took a deep breath, anticipation in his eyes and an incredibly large smile upon his lips. He was just subtly shaking with nerves and adrenaline, his heart beat going at a dangerously fast pace.

"I've wanted this since mommy first told me about it."

Lady Tsunade looked at him, sighed, then opened the door that she had tricked Naruto into going into three years ago. Just like then, healing nin lined the walls, and Shizune stood loyally by the bedside.

"Good, because you just lost your chance to walk away."

Minamaru almost flew pass her into the room, lying himself down on the hospital bed and awaited directions.

Lady Tsunade put him under, then began the surgery, hers and Shizune's progress watched by 10 or so more healing nins.

She had already asked if there were anyone that wanted to learn how to do the procedure, seeing as how she had already known that Sakura wouldn't continue it. These were those few out of the dozens that had been willing, if not a few of them not entirely certain.

Which took away one of the many reasons why she was performing a surgery for male pregnancy on a 16 year old.

When the heart of the reason was reached, it would be found out that Lady Tsunade's true reason was to see if it would work.

Seven hours later, exhausted and feeling her age, she checked her work one more time, and smirked smugly, making Shizune smile in relief.

"We have one more baby rearing boy going around now, people! Thank god he's in Suna."

There was some agreement to that statement. It was bad enough that the child of Sasuke and Naruto, the two who could seem to kill each other thousands of times over and call it love, was walking already and eyeing everyone like they were his play toys. No one wanted to imagine the horror that would come with Minamaru's child, with how he had acted with his gang through his childhood, and still did.

* * *

Kanaye sighed, rotating his head on his shoulders to get the crick out of his neck. He stepped through the front door of yet another temporary home, alone in the comfortable space. His father was interrogating the kidnappers that had tried to take Koi and Makato yesterday, and his chichi and Iruka were still with the three children, Kakashi away on a mission.

He sighed again as he looked to the door, waiting expectantly for the approaching chakra to tackle him.

Which it did in the form of red, white, blue, green, purple, and orange, crashing his lips onto the redhead's as he wrapped his arms tightly about his neck, his legs firmly around his waist.

After a long moment of being tongue tied and lip locked, Minamaru broke away, a flush on his cheeks, a twinkle in his eyes, and a laughing smile on his face.

"Let's do it, Kan-koi!"

Kanaye blinked, shuddered as Minamaru thrust his hips against his, then made them both disappear in a hail of sand, reappearing on the simple bed supplied for them in the upstairs with a storm of black grains, their clothes shredded somewhere else.

He went for the sensitive buds first, sucking harshly at them, as his hands wondered down the slim body, touching and tracing the each faint scar adorning the coffee crème colored skin.

As he panted, Minamaru sucked on his own fingers, his amethyst eyes glazed over a violet color. Kanaye looked up, saw Minamaru doing what he was doing, and growled.

Instead of allowing Minamaru to prepare himself, as hot and sexy as that was, he lowered himself till he was level with younger boy's hips, gripping each of them and turning Minamaru onto his knees, making the violent eyes boy whimper.

Minamaru looked over his shoulder, watching as Kanaye kneaded the flesh of his ass, then spread the cheeks apart, lowering his face to touch his tongue to his lover's puckered hole, before he forced it through, massaging the ring of muscles he came to.

Minamaru dropped his head, whining low in his throat as he gripped the blanket beneath him tightly between his fists. He arched his lower back into Kanaye's teasing mouth, a groan escaping him as Kanaye tried to flatten his tongue out inside him.

It. Felt. _Good._

When Kanaye believed Minamaru to be lubricated enough, he leaned back, licking his lips as he did so. He put a testing finger into Minamaru's tight ass, twisting it slowly to assure himself that Minamaru wasn't feeling all that much pain at this point. He put another in with it, wiggling them in search of a particular treasure.

Minamaru gasped, his arms quaking bad enough, he nearly dropped onto the bed, as Kanaye's fingers touched the special bundle of nerves hidden within himself.

Kanaye leaned back, rubbing the small of Minamaru's back as he stroked his own erection.

He nudged his hips against the curve of his lover's ass, one hand rubbing the pale, soft flesh, the other following the line of the spine up to the back of his lover's neck, pushing down for the other to fall to the bed.

Minamaru whimpered, bucking his hips into the mattress, as his erection was held between his body and the bed, allowing Kanaye to force him entirely onto his belly.

Kanaye panted, watching through heavy lidded eyes, at the scene beneath him. He fell forward, allowing himself to blanket his multi colored haired lover, one arm supporting him, the other hand guiding his member to the crease between each of the healthily pink cheeks, nuzzling the entrance before beginning to push through.

He hissed, clenching his teeth as he dropped his head into Minamaru's shoulder, his chest shuddering as his arm trembled slightly. Minamaru moaned, both of his hands tangled into the sheets, attempting to raise his lower back into the slow intrusion, but having difficulty with his legs being stretched out.

Once Kanaye had his head pushed through the ring of muscle that, had just seemed to be trying to keep him out, now tried to drag him in deeper, clenching about his member and rippling. Kanaye cursed, forcing into three more inches, before he removed his hand to help his balance, his one arm trembling to much to stand alone.

He dipped his lower back, arching his erection upwards for a different angle, causing Minamaru to curve his buttocks into it, burying his face further into the bed as he bit the comforter.

Kanaye waited another moment, sweat dripping from him onto Minamaru's back, gasping as he felt his lungs constrict with the pressure squeezing him.

Then, he began pushing himself forward, applying more and more force as Minamaru's cries became more high pitched. By the time they would have been ecstatic with the knowledge that they were alone in the house, Minamaru screaming so loud, Kanaye growling viciously, they were too far gone to care if they _hadn't_ been alone in the house.

Kanaye leaned down, gasping hot air over Minamaru's ear, as he continued to thrust wildly into his lover, biting the flesh in the junction of Minamaru's shoulder. He kneaded the flesh gently, a contradiction to the raging lust he used as momentum, licking the bite mark, before coming back to suck it till it was red.

"Kan-koi! So close… _So_… _close_!"

He threw his head back, his body moving forward and backward with each thrust, to capture Kanaye's burning black eyes with his own wanton violet ones over his shoulder.

"Love me harder!"

Kanaye snarled, arching onto his knees to grab Minamaru's hips and shove them back onto his bucking erection, twisting them so they came back together at an angle. It made Minamaru scream, spurting his essence onto the bed and his belly, the friction of it between him and the covers, as well as the angle and Kanaye hitting his G-spot with such force.

He whimpered as Kanaye cursed, feeling himself tighten around his lover's cock, feeling the hot spurt of his lover's seed inside of him.

His head fell back against the bed, a secret smile on his face, his cheeks flushed and his eyes glazed over with pleasure. Kanaye collapsed onto Minamaru's back, panting harshly as he rained kisses over Minamaru's sweaty shoulders, his obsidian eyes content.

It took another minute before he had the strength to lift himself off of Minamaru, flopping beside him instead and pulling Minamaru onto his chest.

The younger male began to hum, smiling languidly as he threw a leg over Kanaye's waist and an arm over his chest. He took a deep breath, shuddering with the intake.

"I smell smexiness…"

"I smell sex, period…"

Kanaye's eyes were closed, taking deep breaths as if he were already asleep. Minamaru snickered, putting one hand over his belly as he appeared to glow with joy.

Mommy had once told him that he had known the moment he was pregnant with Kanaye, had felt that almost nonexistent shift that had rocked his world.

He had also told Minamaru that it had taken him months to become pregnant with his son, as had taken for everyone else, except Naruto, who had taken days.

He was now the first man baby bearer that got it all in one go! Must be something special with his sandman…

Either way, he bet he could keep a secret from him longer than anyone else had been able to.

"Why did you go to the hospital today?"

"Not to have the surgery, I swear!"

"What!?"

_Smooth, Minamaru, __**real**__ smooth…_

* * *

I don't think teen pregnancy is all that great, but, in the ninja world, I guess that would be one way for it to go around. Think about it, they're killing people by the time they're 11 or so, and learn how to handle sharp objects way before that. Besides, I want to get these man babies into this thing.


	68. Be haunted

"_What am I supposed to be seeing?"_

_For one reason or another, Minamaru felt no fear or anxiety as he stood next to his smirking father, overlooking his killing Hito once more. It seemed to have happened time and time again. Watching himself as he formed the large, flat triangular shard of glass, then shove it into Hito's gut, was beginning to make him sick. Watching as he transformed from himself into Orochimaru's true son was terrifying. Witnessing him coldly murdering Hito was eye widening. _

_Yet, he felt nothing. He watched only blankly as it happened time and time again, branding Hito's words into his head._

_His father's cold yellow eyes met his, the purple markings about his eyes as pale as when he had been alive, his white teeth held slightly apart as a forked tongue peeked out and touched his smirking lips._

"_Exactly what you're not seeing."_

_Minamaru's eyebrows drew together in confusion, then he looked back to the scene, his father's contradicting words ringing through his head._

_There was something there; what it was, he didn't know. Ever so subtly, though, it showed.-…_

_Wait…_

_Was that…?_

_As if he had a remote and had pressed rewind, then pause, before him remained frozen the exact moment Hito died. For just the briefest of seconds, the Hyuuga's eyes weren't lilac._

_They were brown. Average brown, uninteresting brown. Not Hyuuga eyes. _

"_What… What's that?"_

_His father's raspy laughter echoed like a haunting._

"_Clearly, not a Hyuuga."_

_Abruptly, he wasn't before the murder scene anymore, everything was black. The only thing he could see was his father, standing uncomfortably close to him. The cold, mocking smile on his lips made Minamaru freeze from the inside out. _

_At the same moment Orochimaru's gaze turned downward, so did Minamaru's, just to see an awing vision. _

_His stomach was wonderfully swollen, so much so, he couldn't see his feet for the mound. When he noticed this, three different songs touched his senses. One was calm and sad, like a violin stringing. The second was lively, as if a flute were being played upbeat. The third was hard and violent, a daring drum solo. They mixed into one another, not so much a wonderful tune, but one that made him laugh and cry at the same time. He clutched at his belly, holding it as if he could hug the lives within his womb._

_That joy quickly turned to screams as his father's hand ripped right through his wrists into his womb, blood spraying as his father searched for his children from the inside out. _

_For one reason or another, he couldn't fight back, though he tried. It was as if he was fading, watching his flailing arms as his father's hand continued to pass right into him. There was no pain, but he could hear the song flowing through him become offbeat and frightened as well. The flute screeched, the violin whispered off, and the drums began to beat furiously. _

_It was as he fell to the ground, his horrified eyes fixed on his own belly, that the song stopped altogether. Ever so slowly, he looked up, his eyes impossibly wide, the amethyst of his eyes frozen over with pain, suffering, and numbness, all at the same time._

_At his father's feet, one blood soaked, tiny body wiggled wildly, his obsidian eyes wide to full circles to stare blindly upwards. In Orochimaru's arms, two boys were held, one on each side, both as tiny and blood soaked as the first one. The one on his left side stared at Minamaru passively, his eyes thinly lined with by blue-green that were in his grandfather's. The one on his right looked at Minamaru with narrowed eyes, staring at the fallen boy with Minamaru's own eyes in his head._

"_Thank you for giving me such strong grandchildren, son."_

_Minamaru could only do one thing in response, watching as his father kicked his one child at his feet away from him, then began to walk away._

_He screamed. He screamed as if it could make a difference by screaming._

"_GIVE ME MY BABIES!! Please! I will do anything! Just give me back my babies!"_

_He dragged himself to his beaten son, pulling the deathly still body into his arms as he sobbed loudly._

"_My babies!"_

_-slap!-_

Minamaru jerked awake, almost leaping out of the bed if it had not been for the chest blocking his exit. When he came in contact with the pale flesh, he started, then gripped his lover's shoulders with bruising force, weeping bitterly into the redhead's chest as he did so.

"He took my babies, get me my babies back, Kanaye, I want my babies back…"

"Sshhh, shhh"

Kanaye stroked Minamaru's long hair, gently rocking his body to calm the younger boy down. He drifted one hand from around his brother's shoulders to his lover's stomach, stroking the still taut flesh comfortingly.

"They're right here, Arune, they're not going anywhere."

"How do you know?"

Kanaye captured one of Minamaru's clenched fists with his other hand, bringing it down to join the first hand. He pressed the cold, sweating hand to his abdomen, whispering his lips over Minamaru's trembling ones.

"Don't you feel them loving you? They're there. Listen, very, _very _closely."

Kanaye concentrated his chakra, flowing it into Minamaru's senses so he could hear it for _just_ a moment. His eyes squinted as he worked to find them, wherever they were hidden safely. It had been two weeks since his lover had conceived, which meant that these children were as tiny as could be humanly possible.

Ever so slowly, Minamaru's weeping slowed into a whimper, his eyes narrowing in concentration as well. Just barely, _just_ on the edge of his senses, something began to sing in the background of his mind. His eyes widened drastically as he gasped, his hands grasping his stomach weakly.

There was the violin once more, coupled with the frantically playing flute, as well as the calmly pounding drums. He began laughing softly, tears spilling from his eyes.

"They're there! Kanaye, they're there!"

Kanaye frowned, unsure of what Minamaru was hearing. A faint heartbeat shouldn't draw such excitement from someone.

Just as quickly as he had been joyous, he was shaking, his teeth grit as he clenched Kanaye's red hair between his fingers, looking up at the redhead with desperation.

"He's not dead."

Kanaye frowned, even as he stroked Minamaru's back, tucking the younger boy's head beneath his chin so he could more easily stroke his hair as well.

"Arune, I assure you, Orochimaru is dead. Do we need to go to Konoha so you can hear it from Sasuke again?"

Minamaru shook his head frantically, hunching himself into Kanaye's front, going as far as to place himself on the redhead's lap.

"No, not him… I know he's only alive in my head… No, Hito's not dead."

Kanaye's frown became a scowl.

"Arune, you killed him yourself."

He shook his head harder, as if he could use it to shake his understandings into his lover.

"No, I killed someone who was _acting _as him; but I didn't kill _him_."

Kanaye understood. Instead of wandering _how_ Minamaru knew that, or _why_, he nodded, destruction flaming in his obsidian eyes. He drifted his lips over Minamaru's hair once more, his eyes zooming from side to side in planning.

"I understand."

_That means I get to kill him myself…_

* * *

I wanted to skip something bad, but then ridiculously spaced out and dotted name told me I had to do it. So… Yep! He's not dead… That stupid bastard… And, yes, I had to have that in there, because we know something you all don't. Sorry for your luck.


	69. He has captured Me

"Arune, are you okay?"

Minamaru smiled comfortingly at Jun, patting the man's hair as the honey haired boy continued to frown.

"I'm great, Jun! Why do you ask?"

"You're crying…"

"Oh, that's just hormones!"

Minamaru wiped the tears away with a sigh of happiness, drumming the fingers of his other hand over his belly. The flesh was no longer taut, but it was not obvious either. Just barely, if one was looking for it, the slightest curve could be noticed. He was only eight weeks along, but it was clear he was going to be _huge_ by the time he would go into labor., He hummed thoughtfully, narrowing amethyst eyes on the still worried Jun.

"I want… A peanut butter jelly sandwich with cheese, pickles, rice, vanilla ice cream, and really, _really _spicy curry on it!"

Jun looked pale as he looked to the pleased Minamaru, but he took a deep breath for bravery, and nodded.

"Alright, I'll go make it for you."

Minamaru threw himself on the small boy, squealing happily.

"Thank you, Junny-pie! Oh! Could you put some honey and chili sauce on it too?"

Jun noticeably gulped, paling even more. For the life of him, he had no idea how he was going to stack that and not throw up. He looked down distastefully at the bag of sweet and sour chips in his hands, then sealed it shut, looking away from it.

"S-sure, Arune… I'll go get that right now…"

"Wait, Jun!"

A hand on his wrist stopped his hasty retreat, hoping to get out before Minamaru asked for any other strange toppings on his sandwich. As he looked back to the boy on the bed, Minamaru began stroking the ring on Jun's left ring finger, a dreamy expression on his face.

"Have you both decided what kind of wedding you're going to have?"

Jun followed Minamaru's gaze to his ring, then blushed as he smiled sheepishly. He sat back down on the side of the bed, allowing Minamaru to continue to play with the band. Minamaru's thumb rubbed over the simple gold band, tracing the beloved words embedded in it.

"Yeah… It's a western style wedding… We've even chosen who are going to stand with us!"

Minamaru's eyes lit up. He crushed Jun to his chest, squealing like a little school girl as he shook Jun violently in his excitement. Jun held on tightly, surprised alarm in his almond brown eyes.

"Really? Who? Who? Is Aya your best man? I hope so, that would be such wonderful black mail…"

He cooed over the thought, thinking about how lovely it would be to tease Aya with her being best man for the rest of her life. Jun smiled, turning his grip hold into a hug to return the embrace.

"Nope, but she is standing with me… Kanaye and Hitori are standing with Samaie…"

He took his hand away from Minamaru to twiddle his thumbs, looking down at them uncertainly.

"I-I guess I should ask you first before I just assume, but… Well, I came to Suna to ask if you would like… to… Well, you know…"

He didn't even get to finish his blubbering before his arms were full with a wailing rainbow colored boy, Minamaru holding Jun as if he were a dream come true.

"Jun, you don't even have to ask! I'll be your best man!"

Jun released a sigh of relief, his eyes tearing up as he gripped Minamaru as close to him as possible.

"Thanks, Arune."

The position was held like that for a whole seven minutes, Jun's relief and happiness melting into concern and alarm as Minamaru's wails just became louder. At the strike of five p.m., however, Minamaru's wails unexpectedly turned into a smile as he shoved Jun off of the bed.

"I'm hungry, Junny-pie, can you get my snack now?"

Jun sighed, then laughed as he stood himself up and walked out of Minamaru's bedroom, going to go make the ridiculously stacked sandwich.

Since Minamaru had stated that it hadn't been Hito he had killed, but someone else, everyone had been subtly on high alert. Nothing was certain, seeing as how Minamaru believed such because of a dream he had had, as well as the fact that the body had already been incinerated. Only those closest to Minamaru, those who trusted him beyond belief, kept an eye out for the sly Hyuuga. A month later, their certainty in Minamaru's dream had yet to falter, though it had been Hitori's idea to act as if it had. The Hyuuga, they had been learning painfully, was more intelligent than he had let on. Now, Jun's visit to Suna wasn't as spontaneous as it would seem, though the reason for it was mostly true.

Gaara and Lee had had to go to one of the border walls that had reported crumbling, and Kanaye had had to take up his father's office until they returned. Koi laid asleep in her room, which was two doors down from Minamaru's, as well as three doors over and a door across from her parents. Kanaye's room was conjoined to her, which limited their intimacy to Minamaru's room unless they felt particularly quiet… Which didn't happen all that often.

Minamaru had not been so little surrounded since before he told Kanaye that Hito wasn't dead. It was peaceful, and quiet… and slightly disturbing. Not even sleeping with Kanaye kept the nightmares at bay anymore. His father was becoming more and more a part of his nightly life, each dream only slightly altered from the last, but always more horrifying. He had began to sleep with his raccoon daddy and mommy again, their strong, combined presence enough to dim the effects left behind by his father's visits, while being wrapped in Kanaye's arms at the same time with Koi in his arms was able to wipe him from his mind altogether. His new family overpowered his father, and he hadn't slept alone in three weeks. Even if it was only Koi and Lee he sleeps with, Kanaye and Gaara off doing their Sabaku thing, or just Koi, he hadn't slept alone. Any presence was better than being alone.

Minamaru settled back into the pillows of his bed, planning on asking Jun to sleep with him if Kanaye, Gaara, and Lee didn't get back by the time he fell asleep. He wondered this for a few seconds longer, then his thoughts wandered away into other matters, random things that he had been thinking of since becoming pregnant.

Such as… When was Gai bringing that curry he had promised him? Was mommy going to bring the sewing materials he had asked for when he came back?… Should he get a lip piercing? What colors should he dye his hair this time? The colors were dimming again… Why did he have a fascination with wearing his mommy's leg warmers lately? Of course, he'd bought his own and dyed them rainbows colors, but, still… It was strange…

A crash sounded from downstairs, startling Minamaru out of his thoughts as he dashed out of his room to towards the kitchen wear the noise had came from.

"Arune, get out of here!!"

He ignored Jun's yell, only increasing his speed as he barged into the kitchen, shards of glass spinning madly around his fingertips as his eyes roamed the space. Those shards of glass fell limply to the ground, his mouth parting slightly, as he took a deep breath of surprise.

In the center of the room, Jun was limp in the arms of the very Hyuuga who should have died all that time ago, his almond eyes staring desperately at Minamaru for him to leave. Lilac eyes met Minamaru's amethyst eyes, a smirk crossing his pale face as those eyes flickered to a mustard yellow color.

"Let him go. You don't want him, so just let him go."

"Arune…"

Jun managed to choke out, his body limp from being caught off guard by Hito's gentle fist attack. He met Minamaru's furious yellow eyes with a look of pained shame, desperation clear in his almond orbs.

"Get Koi… Get out…"

He couldn't stop the gurgled scream as Hito began to press his fingers further into his throat, cutting off his breath.

"How about this… You come with me, leave that little demon spawn here, and pudgy boy here can live for his wedding day."

Minamaru's eyes became wide, then narrowed in fury.

"How did you know-"

"That he was getting married? Love, I never took you for an idiot. I know what that band on his left hand means."

His smile was cold and demeaning as his eyes wondered over Minamaru's frame. That smile turned into a frown as his eyes focused on the younger boy's stomach. Hatred and disgust entered his lilac eyes.

"I learned about _that _through the gossip going about while I traveled from the rock country here. They gave me protection as I waited for this moment."

His eyes returned to Minamaru's flickering eyes, his own demanding.

"You will kill it, of course."

"-rune, out!"

This time, Hito took out a blade and cut it cleanly across Jun's chest, trailing it up to Jun's chin, where he rested the blade, never taking his eyes from Minamaru's now amethyst eyes.

"You can come with me, or you can live with knowing that the demon spawn you call a sister will never see her next year and this whore will not live for his honeymoon. How does that sound?"

Minamaru stared helplessly at Jun, his mind working a thousand miles ahead of himself. He was debating if he could be fast enough to save Jun before Hito could slit his throat, his mind turning over to physics as he determined if his glass could fly at Hito that fast, if he could control each shard so meticulously that they didn't come close enough for Hito to use Jun as a shield. Watching the certainty in the lilac eyes, he knew there would be no such chance. He was fast, but he wasn't fast enough to stop that death.

_Mommy, why can't you be here?_

He inhaled a harsh breath, then lifted his hands in surrender. Jun sobbed, looking at Minamaru with pain and pleading.

"-Rune, no…"

"I'll do it, Hito… But, no matter what, no harm will fall upon my family. That includes my babies."

Hito appeared to consider it, then cackled as Jun gurgled again, falling to the ground with blankly staring eyes, whether dead by Hito's gentle fist or unconscious, Arune couldn't tell.

"No deal."

Minamaru leaped the distance between them, a dance of glass shards following him, as his eyes swirled into a new golden coin color, his teeth gritted together and maddened hatred set into his face. Hito ducked and swerved to counter his movements, almost mocking Minamaru with the ease he avoided him.

It was unexpected, and unseen, but, in hardly a blink of the eye, Minamaru's eyes were wide with shock as his legs and arms went limp, falling into Hito's waiting arms.

The Hyuuga had been practicing… So much so, Minamaru wasn't certain of anything in that moment.

"Now, let's go somewhere else, shall we?"

Minamaru bit down savagely on the lips that were pressed against his, causing the Hyuuga to hiss and slap him hard across his face.

"You're going to be a good whore, and be obedient, do you understand? If you do anymore shit like that, I _will_ kill that demon's spawn that lies in your womb."

Horror colored Minamaru pale as his eyes widened with the emotion. Hito, as a threat, pressed his hand to Minamaru's belly, activating his byakugan as he did so.

"Do I make myself clear, slut?"

Weakly, Minamaru attempted to move his arms, legs, then both, in defiance. That defiance showed through his clenched teeth and hate filled eyes, a fire burning in the terrified amethyst orbs that made Hito snarl down at him.

Minamaru couldn't stop himself from screaming as he landed three feet away from Hito, feeling cramps develop after having the Hyuuga gentle fist his belly, nearly hitting where his womb rested within him. Bitter tears fell down his cheeks as he forced himself to become meek, allowing Hito to pick him up without snapping at him, then closing his eyes with shame as the other's lips descended on his again.

In a puff of smoke, they disappeared, a small tear on the floor as well as the unconscious and beaten Nara-Akamichi on the floor the only signs that Hito had ever came and taken him away…

Well, that and the silently weeping Koi hiding around the corner, her thinly blue-green rimmed eyes impossibly wide as she stared down at the floor. For the life of her, she wanted to go to Jun, to make sure that her 'brother', as she had been introduced to him as, was okay…

But there was something else she had to do first.

With the speed that only came from playfully running with her mommy each morning, she ran right out of her front door, directly to the Kazekage's office, her tiny feet carrying her as if she were riding the speediest horse. She ran through the pair of doors that were five times her size, aided by the randomly exiting man, and straight up the stairs onto the highest floor, huffing and puffing as she went along. The secretary couldn't even leave the space behind her desk to ask Koi what was wrong before the tiny girl began pounding loudly on the kage office doors, her height insufficient in reaching the handle, the doors to heavy for her to open alone either way.

"Brother! Brother!"

She began sobbing, tears streaking down her face heavily, as the secretary attempted to peel her away from the wood and away, telling her that Kanaye was in a meeting. She didn't care, and she knew, when she told Kanaye, that he wouldn't care about it either.

"Ru-ru! Ru-ru was stolen! Brother, he hurt t-t-teddy bear! Brother!"

The door were cleanly ripped from their hinges, flying down opposite sides of the hall, as Kanaye's obsidian orbs burned like hellfire, terrifying the secretary to the point that she fell on her bottom, screaming in surprise, a mimic of the five or so men that were behind the redhead in the office. Koi, on the other hand, ran straight up to her brother, gripping him tightly and wailing into the Kazekage robes that he was wearing temporarily in their father's place.

"H-he came and took him! He h-hurt Jun, and I-I d-didn't have the time t-to heal him!"

"Watch over her, make sure no one takes her away, send a healing nin to my home to assist my fallen comrade. Call my father and chichi here, do you understand?"

The secretary nodded numbly, her chuunin rank having not prepared her for such fury. In a flurry of black sand, Koi was holding thin air, her wails almost screams with the pain she felt in her heart.

Yet again, she hadn't been able to protect someone close to her heart.

* * *

Is it just me, or does Hito call everyone a whore?… Well, anyway, THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!!! This was ridiculously spaced and dotted name heart's idea. I told you, I tried to skip it, but she told me I wasn't allowed… For some reason, I get blamed for the bad things she wants me to do… And, yes, Koi called Jun teddy bear…

IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!!! Yes, whether it is, or is attempted, there shall be rape in the next chapter or so… DAMN YOU, RIDICULOUSLY SPACED OUT AND DOTTED NAME HEART!!!! But she's my second hubby, so I have too…


	70. I Scream for My Savior

Okaaayyy… I left the last chapter off with Hito, who was _supposed _to be dead (blame ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart), who is most likely about to rape Minamaru (refer to last set of parenthesis)…. Damn it… I will make a happy ending out of this!

* * *

"Well… This is fun, don't you think so, love?"

Minamaru said nothing, only continuing to stare upwards, avoiding Hito's gaze. He didn't want the Hyuuga to see that he was planning.

As long as he was with Hito, not only himself, but his babies, were in danger. At that moment, Minamaru was ready to do anything, just so his babies would be fine, just so they could live… He would do _anything_.

If that meant enduring the lips that were suckling at his skin, lips that were soft like silk and not harsh like grains of sand, he would do so. If he had thought that it wouldn't have brought a reaction from the older male, he would have begun mocking him. Even as Hito pushed against Minamaru's outer thigh with his full blown erection, he was entirely… _not_ aroused. Hands that were pale like milk, not like desert soil, attempted to make him shiver by rubbing over his nipples, his body bare except for the braces Kanaye had clasped onto each of his wrists.

Even as his senses registered that, yes, it felt _good_, they registered another detail: it was not _right_. That one certainty made his heart squeeze in his chest in fear, but there was nothing he could do about it… At least, not yet.

He stopped the twitch of his finger, hiding the fact that Hito's gentle fist was wearing off. Ever so slowly, he was getting his motor skills back. Though, he had no control over his body as of yet… He had to wait until his chakra replenished itself, Hito having been draining it slowly, devouring it into himself. It further weakened Minamaru, but all he needed was movement, then victory would be on the horizon. If there was anything mommy had taught him, it was how not to depend on chakra.

"Oooh, I never took you for frigid, love."

Minamaru kept his face blank, even as he began screaming somewhere far in the back of his head, as Hito grabbed his member and began pumping.

"I think I know how we can solve that…"

When Hito kneeled between his legs, wrapping one arm around one of Minamaru's legs and pulling it to the side, wrapping his other hand around his erection to point it forward, the screaming in the back of Minamaru's mind became numbingly painful.

'_No, no… Kanaye was supposed to be my only lover for life, my only lover…'_

Hito's member nudged at Minamaru's entrance, the Hyuuga's calm smile becoming something carnal as he felt the ring of muscles resist him entirely.

"I think I may have to stretch you first, how does that sound, pet?"

Within himself, Minamaru was retching and writhing, screaming in every language that he knew. Hito's fingers pressed against his lips, pushing forward insistently, even as Minamaru continued to stare directly upward.

"Love, would you do the honors, please?"

He didn't open his mouth, focusing his entire being into getting his arms, one arm, heck, even a _finger_, to move freely.

He stopped breathing as something cold and metallic was pressed against his belly, slicing stingingly through the skin continuing across.

"I'm warning you, love, do as you're told…"

Minamaru's lips trembled as he forced them open, feeling his jaw creak with the unwilling act. When he refused to suck on Hito's fingers, the kunai descended upon the flesh of his belly once more, this time cutting the opposite way.

"Second warning, love… You don't want to get the third one, do you?"

Somewhere, possibly where the screaming had been, uncontrollable weeping began. He was assisting his stalker in his own rape… Not only did this make him feel filthy, he felt like a whore.

'_My babies need me… I can do this, if only for my babies…'_

'_And what if Kanaye will be disgusted with me? What if raccoon daddy thinks I'm weak and never comes near me again? What if mommy blames himself and gets hurt?'_

'_It doesn't matter… My babies are counting on me, they can't defend themselves… My babies need me, my babies need me, my babies need me-'_

Something shifted against his wrists, as if the sand of his cuffs were swirling. His expression didn't change a bit, not as he released Hito's fingers, not even as he began screaming for Kanaye to hurry in his head.

Just as Hito's fingers began to painfully stab at his opening, he felt the uncontrollable spike of chakra, overwhelming him, blanketing him, _loving_ him.

Hito gasped, his lilac eyes dilating to tiny pupils in his eye balls. For one moment, Minamaru got to revel in the horror and shock written all over the older boy's face, his heartbeat speeding away in his chest as his hand finally moved with his will. In the next minute, Hito was composed, a scowl on his lips.

"I should have known it wouldn't have taken demon spawn long to find it's whore in the wasteland that is it's home."

Minamaru openly smirked as Kanaye's chakra began worming about him, almost caressing his flesh in comfort, flexing and swirling over his skin. The flow of his lover's chakra began to leak through him, opening other chakra paths that had been clogged by the Hyuuga's gentle fist.

He sucked in a deep breath, his flesh quivering, as he tasted the emotion that rode the waves of overbearing chakra, making Hito curse as he shot to his feet, pulling a pair of pants towards him and struggling into them.

_Fury_

His body's confused hormones, his insides still twisting from Hito's attempted act, reacted instantly, arching into the danger like a cat into a caress. This not only felt _good_, it felt _right_.

He watched as Hito fled the makeshift hideout of the dune, cursing the whole way as he went out into the noonday sun to meet a challenge he thought he had ground in.

He sat up with difficulty, feeling the muscles of his arm and belly tremble as he forced himself upward. Next, he was kneeling, reaching for clothes he couldn't find.

He had to get out, and he had to get out now. Before Hito realized that he had just made the most stupid mistake in his life. He had to get out before it dawned on the Hyuuga that he needed him to take down Kanaye.

There was no possible way to defeat a Sabaku in the desert… Unless they're on wings. How… _unfortunate_… that Hito couldn't fly.

Minamaru blinked, then leaned back onto the slump of black sand that had welled from the golden grains he had been resting upon, allowing it to wrap around him like a cloak.

In the next moment, not even the hole in the dune was left behind.

* * *

Hito was aware of his mistake not even after his foot had stepped outside of the hidden entrance. Even as he swirled right back around, about to take his prisoner out with him as his shield, he fell backwards, then skidded 29 feet across the desert dunes, carried by strangely colored grains of sand…. That is how far he estimated he had been dragged, however…

Which did not explain why he traveled back to where the den had been, slicing down every tendril of sand skillfully, to find no den. He cursed, turning back to where the sand had dragged him, kunai at the ready.

Around him, his environment pulsed with rage and hatred so strong, his heart's beat was becoming irregular and faulting. For the demon spawn to shed so much chakra, he was going to either drain himself in the next few moments, or was so close to Hito, he was almost touching him…

Around him, the wind began whirring, yelling of coming up dangers. In the next moment, the sand was about him like a storm he could not see through… Of course…

A sand storm by a demon spawn of a demon of sands.

He cursed once more under his breath, tossing one arm before his face as the grains began to cut through his skin as if he was nothing more than a dune as well.

It was as he sputtered, tasting the dry, crunchy texture of the desert in his mouth, falling to his knees to better protect himself, that the storm ended as suddenly as it had begun…

Leaving behind two very familiar chakra signatures.

Looking up, Hito saw them, and stared with hatred. Not five feet from him, the demon spawn returned the intense revulsion with even more power, his blue aura spanning from him to wrap around the boy in his arms.

Hito met his love's eyes next, aversion in his eyes. The whore wore the Kazekage's robes, swinging a kunai carelessly in one hand as he smiled sweetly down at Hito.

Hito cursed, attempting to stand to his feet… only to sink into the sand to his waist. His attempt to coat his entire body in his own chakra, thinking to use it as a blade to cut out of the trap with, failed as he only sank further.

Then his screams rang out throughout the desolate wasteland as the grains crushed his bones together, tearing tendons clean apart and opening skin around the bone as they broke through. He panted, blood spraying from his mouth, coughing and choking…

Dying.

"Do you like it, Hito? Do you like being on the receiving end of pain? The receiving end of suffering a demeaning positions? Do you _like _it?"

* * *

Minamaru looked back at Kanaye as the redhead wrapped his arms more firmly around his waist, stopping him from approaching the trapped man. His lover's obsidian eyes were focused with predatory hatred on Hito, his jaw set tightly.

He couldn't let his lover stop him now. If he let himself depend entirely on Kanaye in this moment, he would never feel strong enough again. He couldn't let Kanaye fight his wars.

He deserved better, and so did his babies.

He couldn't bring himself to set his lips on Kanaye's as he wanted to, the thought of touching his lover with what had been violated by Hito disgusting him, but he nuzzled the column of the redhead's neck, moving himself out of the circle of protection that was his arms. There was a moment where he was certain Kanaye was going to fight him, and then he was free.

The baking heat of the sun burned down on them as Minamaru stepped forward to the dying man.

He stood directly before the fallen Hyuuga, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Mommy says that forgiveness is our choice to give, even when it feels as if we will never forget. It's a mercy on the people who have hurt us, that asks for a new beginning."

He beamed as he leaned down, his head still above Hito's, but almost level with the dying man now.

"I guess he's right about that, seeing as how he forgave raccoon daddy and now they're at it like bunnies!… So, Hito, this is my forgiveness to you…"

Blood sprayed in an arc as the kunai cut cleanly through Hito's throat, watching carefully this time to assure himself that this was the true Hyuuga.

The body sighed one last time, then died.

"Mercy."

That did not stop his hand from trembling, the one holding the kunai. It didn't stop him from staring down at the dead man with burning hatred.

He hadn't truly forgiven the Hyuuga, but he had gotten to kill him.

"Arune…"

He blinked, looking over his shoulder at his redheaded lover. Kanaye was pale, more so than usual, as he waited patiently for him to return to his side.

As he stood once more, his body began to shiver. When he fell into Kanaye's arms, he was openly sobbing, gripping his bleeding belly with trembling hands.

"Take me to the hospital! Kanaye, I need to make sure they're alright!"

Kanaye's head turned sharply when Minamaru said 'they're', but he didn't fight it. Instead, he left behind the corpse of the Hyuuga, taking his breaking lover home.

He was going to need his chichi's guidance now more than ever.

* * *

-is hiding underneath a rock- Don't hurt me… See? Hito failed to succeed once more!… I am not bringing him to life anymore, it's annoying as all hell that he couldn't succeed at any of his bad dude deeds… I have no idea how I'm going to go from here, but I'll figure it out. There are still some ideas swimming around in my head until we can swerve back on track away from the giant moose on the sidelines…

WHY THE HELL IS THERE A MOOSE THERE!?!?

Anywho, blame ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart… Yes, I have to make sure you understand that this was entirely her fault. I was fine with him being dead chapters ago!


	71. I Scream for His Love

Minamaru was listening, his eyes closed and his mind blissfully empty, to the heartbeat singing into his ear.

Sadly, it was not Kanaye's. After two weeks, he had finally been able to talk the redhead into doing his duties that he was to do as the Kazekage's son. In those two weeks, Minamaru had shied away from every one of his lover's touches. Yes, he knew that Hito hadn't gotten to the point where it could be officially called rape, but that didn't stop it from haunting Minamaru's nightmares, so much more strong than even his father's taunting voice.

After all, only a second and one thrust had kept him from being a rape victim.

It was not even the intimacy he feared. No, he knew making love with Kanaye would be as it always was: something ever changing, beautiful, and mind blowing. No, he didn't fear the intimacy. He feared the rejection. Other lips had touched his, had tasted his skin. Other hands had been suckled by his lips, had stretched him. His children had been threatened, and there had been nothing he could do about it but participate and wait.

Even if Hito had never came inside of him, he felt as filthy as if he had.

The chest he rested upon heaved slightly, then returned to it's normal breathing pattern. The shy humming that had been whispering about the room paused in that moment, then continued. The soft hand continued to drift through Minamaru's waist length hair, stroking each streak of color separately.

Minamaru sighed, then cuddled closer to the supple body, almost laying on the man.

"Arune…"

His pillow mumbled tiredly, pausing in his humming.

"It's not your fault, you know that… Right?"

Minamaru clutched the hospital gown his living pillow was wearing, curling even more tightly into himself as his other hand clutched at his womb, reassuring himself of the swell there.

"But it is all my fault, Jun… Mommy, Aya, little Kouga…"

He began to tremble, his teeth clenching together as he bit back a sob.

"You… He hurt everyone I loved because of me… And then he almost killed my babies…"

Which was the truth. Had Hito cut his blade an inch deeper, he would have bled out, and his pregnancy would have aborted itself.

"I said I forgave him, but I _hate_ him!"

The door opened slowly, entering Lee. His uncertain obsidian eyes found his teary amethyst ones, then he was engulfed in his mom's arms, held tightly between the green clad Jounin and Jun.

"Ru-ru… What can we do to stop your retreating from us?"

He held Minamaru at arms length, tears flowing from his own eyes as he managed to choke out the words. What made Minamaru finally sob, however, was that the tears were not the free flowing ones that came with being an emotional jumble that is Rock, Lee and Maito, Gai, but _genuine_. Lee was not crying because the event called for it, he was crying because he couldn't stop the tears.

Lee brought Minamaru to his chest once more, than reached out and pulled Jun into the embrace as well, the honey haired boy wrapping both arms around both of their waists to hold them together.

"I will do anything for you, Ru-ru… _Anything_, just come back to us, please…"

He ran his bandaged hands down Minamaru's and Jun's backs, holding both sobbing boys to his chest, even as he wept himself.

Jun wept because he had failed. Lee, Kanaye, Gaara, Koi, Minamaru, Minamaru's unborn children, _everyone_, had trusted him to watch over Minamaru in a time when they had all known he was in danger. Instead of protecting Minamaru, keeping himself aware, he had let his guard down… And now, everyone was paying a terrible price. In all truth, it was his fault. None of this would have happened if he had done what he had came to Suna to do.

Lee wept because he had failed. Minamaru was _his _son, _his_ child. Minamaru had needed him, Jun had needed him, his _children _had needed him. Instead, he had been practically a city's length away from them, happily oblivious of their pain. He should have stayed home instead of following Gaara to a job he knew his husband could do on his own. In all honesty, it was his fault. None of this would have happened if he had protected his better.

Minamaru wept because he had been weak. Because he had been so careless and had caused all of this. It was all of his fault. Hito's obsession had been with him, and that obsession had begun the horror they all now lived in. Kanaye had trusted him to be strong. Gaara had trusted him to make his own decisions. Lee had trusted him with _everything_. His _family_, everyone of them, had trusted him. Every single one of them… He had failed them.

His greatest failure? He didn't know how to answer Lee's plea. He had no idea what could stop himself from screaming 'whore!' in his own mind whenever Kanaye tried to touch him. He had no idea how he could stop being afraid of going to sleep at night, how he could stop having nightmares of what had never happened, but had damn near close occurred. How could he look his family in the eyes and act as if he were happy? How was he going to look his _children _in the eyes? Their lives had been endangered because of _him_.

Jun began to hum again, whispering phrases to songs Minamaru couldn't label with how silently they were sung. Lee grabbed the blanket up off of the hospital bed and wrapped it about both of them, nuzzling his nose into Minamaru's hair, tears still running stubbornly down his cheeks.

In that moment, as he had been doing in so many other moments, countless moments, in the past two weeks, Lee swore never to let this happen again. Not one person was unaffected by this, not one.

They hadn't moved Jun to Konoha yet, unsure of how stable he would be for the venture, but that hadn't stopped half of Konoha moving to Suna to check up on their strange child and their living teddy bear. Samaie and Aya had left the hospital room only an hour or so before, following after Kanaye as he went to interrogate the rock natives that had housed Hito, having finally tracked them down.

Naruto was somewhere else, with Jun's father and Neji in a meeting with Gaara. Neji had, upon arrival the day before, bowed to both Jun, the Inuzuka family, and the Sabaku family, all of them gathered in Jun's hospital room. Tenten had done so as well, begging for forgiveness.

Lee had been first to wrap both of his former teammates in an embrace, but only by a matter of milliseconds. Close after, Minamaru had been holding them as well, tears falling from his eyes as he had told the two parents that he had already forgiven them.

Now, it was only him, Jun, and Lee. All of them crowded onto the small hospital bed, attempting to forgive and forget.

As the flow of Minamaru's tears slowed, his breathing evening out, he gripped one hand into the neckline of Lee's jumpsuit, the other hand lying over his womb, both of them going lax as he blinked his eyes shut.

He forgot to open them.

* * *

"_You're not gonna hurt mommy anymore!"_

_The blackness that had been wrapping itself around Minamaru, ripping him in two, dissipated a fraction or so, dimming the pitch black into a coal black. The tears that had been of pain stopped as surprise took him over, listening to the wobbly childish voice._

"_Back away from our mother."_

_Minamaru could feel himself breathe, the coal black lightening to a light storm cloud gray, as the monotone voice broke through the cover._

"_You got nothing on me, so take a step back."_

_The light around him was like he was in the center of a fire that didn't burn, but glowed._

"_Mommy, are you alright!? I don't think he's alright, I think he's hurt, we need to protect mommy! MOMMY!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?!?"_

_The tears flowed anew, but not in pain… At least, not the pain that was bad. His heart ached, but it was not in sadness. The voice reminded him so much of Lee…_

"_Oh, he's just fine. There's nothing like being raped to make someone's day…"_

_The heavily sarcastic voice reminded him of Kanaye. He could see the drawl expression that accompanied the words._

"_Stop teasing him. We're here for mother, not our family feud."_

_Calm and focused, like Gaara's… Yet, the tone wasn't right. It was deep, but not enough. The sound of it wasn't quite right either. _

_Then again, why would Lee, Kanaye, and Gaara call him 'mother'?_

"_Mommy, do you need a hug?"_

_Minamaru began sobbing, nodding as he did so. Yes, he knew who he was speaking to now. Just there, just faintly the flute was playing frantically, speaking a tale of fear and anxiety. With it, the drum beat dully, a tone of one being bored. The violin, as well, played a dull tone, stringing as if a boring party was going on._

_He saw nothing, even as the light about him intensified. But he felt it. He felt the two arms that wrapped themselves around his waist as far as they could reach. Clearly, the being was a small child. The furthest his arms could reach was to his sides, unable to touch his back. The sound of a flute playing grew louder, as if he were close to the one playing it._

_As he realized that, the violin became louder, then a small pressure pressed against his head and began to pet his hair._

"_Mother, why are you being so self-centered? We all need you, mother, and that means you need to stop retreating. If you keep doing that, we'll die."_

_He blinked, bewildered by that statement as the glow about him radiated and warmed him from within. He felt as if he could laugh at the world, as if horses could fly and he could smile once more. The last sentence hardly even dawned on him as being spoken at all._

_The drum picked up it's beat as it sounded closer to him, small points of pressure scratched down his back._

"_Hey, mom, guess what? You need to wake up."_

With a start, Minamaru's eyes shot open, both of his arms wrapped around his waist in a self hugging embrace. They were not the only pair of arms wrapped around him either.

Kanaye's front to his back, the redhead's arms were wrapped around his waist as well, holding his belly as well. Minamaru didn't have to turn around to figure out who it was, his body knew for him.

For moments, he listened to the redhead breathe, wrapping one hand into both of Kanaye's. Looking about him, he observed his own room, the walls painted a dark grey. Looking down at what his feet were prodding, he saw Oki spread out at the foot of the bed, her large frame breathing slowly in sleep. Resting beside her, using her as a pillow, Aya growled in her sleep, batting at Minamaru's feet as he prodded her again.

If Aya was asleep, that meant it was something between 11 at night and 5 in the morning. The longest he had known her to sleep was from 8 at night to 6 in the morning, but she usually woke up at random intervals anyway. Chances were,. This wasn't one of those times. Besides, if Kanaye was asleep at the same time, that narrowed the time down to some hour pass midnight. He knew that because his redhead hadn't been able to fall asleep for anything for more than three hours since the trouble with Hito.

"When were you going to tell me?"

Minamaru turned his head over his shoulder, meeting Kanaye's dim obsidian eyes.

Dim, as he had never before seen them. He had never before believed that possible. Yes, he had seen them _dull_, but not _dim_.

"Tell you what?"

'_This is it… He's going to tell me that I'm disgusting… Something happened, something I don't know about… I don't think I want to hear this…'_

"I figured we were having more than one child, but you never told me we were having three…"

Minamaru went on defense, his hands clutching at his stomach. He relaxed, only slightly, when Kanaye's thumb rubbed across the back of his hands, the redhead lax against him.

"Yeah, we're having triplets… And we're having all three of them."

Because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if one of them, after the sacrifices he had made, the dreams and nightmares that he had had, die. He wanted all three of them in his arms… He _needed_ them with him where he could watch them grow.

Kanaye's dim black eyes continued to stare at him, not changing emotion at all. After a moment, the redhead lifted himself out of the covers, pulled on his in home kimono, and abandoned the room, leaving behind a confused and hurt Minamaru with only the two beings at the end of the bed as company.

For two minutes, he stared at the closed door, trying to figure out what Kanaye had been saying with that dead expression.

"You know…"

Minamaru looked down to the edge of the bed, Aya having rolled over onto her belly and folded her arms beneath her head as a makeshift pillow, her eyes closed still.

"I've been thinking about what Lady Tsunade told us earlier today, 'bout you and those three little piglets in your tummy… If it's a life threatening risk to have one at a time, then what the hell are your chances of survival?"

"_While healing your womb, I found that there were three fetuses instead of just one."_

_The retired hokage turned to look at the bedridden boy, her eyes steely determined. She had came with Aya, Samaie, and Hitori, arriving two days after the incident. She knew that the Suna healers would have had to already sealed Minamaru's wounds, but she had came to double check. He was her experiment, after all._

_However, this was not what she had expected._

_Minamaru nodded, already knowing that. He rested a hand on his belly, the first true smile, albeit extremely small, pulled at his lips for the first time since two days before._

"_You do realize that we're going to have to abort two of them?"_

_The smile was wiped off of his face, his eyes turning to Lady Tsunade with horror in them. That horror quickly turned into fury, wrapping his arms protectively over his womb. In his wrath, his eyes flashed from amethyst to a golden color, a threatening growl escaping him._

"_Never! I will die before I do something like that! They're going to live, even if it costs me everything!"_

"_That's exactly what it's going to cost you. Speaking in terms of 'everything' being your god damned life."_

"Nonexistent…"

He curled his knees to his chest, not quite able to touch them together, but close enough.

"And I'm okay with that."

"Yeah, and I was okay with dying for my baby bro too. After all, I nearly had my heart ripped in two, literally, and was bleeding like a bitch. But, hey! Guess what I got the strength to do? Not only did I get that hoe back that got me first, but I took down the bastards that were trying to kill my baby bro! In the process, I nearly blew myself up and got a gut wound, as well as a lot of other bleeding wounds…"

She mocked awe and shock as she looked to Minamaru.

"Holy shit, I'm talking to you right now! I must be a ghost!… Or maybe I'm just special…"

Minamaru blinked, frowned, then his eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"What are you getting at?"

"If you love them so damn much you're willing to die for them, get raped for them, and damn well toss everyone to the side of the road for them, than you can fucking love them enough to fight to live for them. Hell, fighting for Mr. Gloomy red wouldn't hurt either. After all, you loved him enough to go through the trouble of having his pups, no one else's."

Minamaru stared at the anger that was flaring in his friend's eyes, looked away, and gripped his abdomen, his eyes glazing over in thought. Aya stared at him, her eyes concentrated on him like a dog on a thief.

"I…"

His shoulders began to shake. He put his head to his knees, one arm wrapping around his legs while he wrapped the other around his belly. His teeth clenched together as tears fell once more for another countless time in days.

"I…"

Warmth surrounded him, engulfing him. Aya's hands ran through his hair, brushing out the tangles they had developed over night, as she hushed him gently. He knew it was meant in a way to comfort him, not to silence him.

"I want them both!"

He unwrapped the arm around his legs to hold his 'sister' to him, who had begun rocking them back and forth. A wet tongue bathed the arm wound around Aya's back, reminding him that Oki was there as well. His sobs grew more violent.

"I will die if that's what I have to do to make sure they all live! But I want to live with them! I want to watch Kanaye go raccoon daddy on our babies and I want to watch our babies grow and become what they want to be! I want to hold them in my arms and I want Kanaye to hold them too! I want to have embarrassing moments when our children walk in on us making love… I want to love him till he laughs in public! I want to tease him like I always do, I want to watch our children tease him! I want to have a Kodak moment every three seconds until I'm too dead to even hold the camera with my bones… I want it all…"

"Then fight for it. We'll all help you, every single one of us. Whatever you need, we'll make sure you have it. Do you understand, honey?"

Minamaru sniffled, curling himself against Aya's breasts, pressing his ear to her chest.

"… Aya, that almost cheered me up enough to make you the godmother of my children… But it's not happening."

Aya threw her head back and laughed, the first sign of humor she had shown in too long.

"Aw, why not? I can raise them to be nice little devils! They would be very annoying, angry little children that will destroy houses and torture people! Why _wouldn't_ you want to raise your puppies like that?"

"No."

She mocked sadness for a while, making Minamaru smile for just a moment, before she fell onto the bed, dragging Minamaru with her.

"I'm tired. It's, what? Three in the morning? I refuse to be up this early."

Minamaru smiled, patting her head.

"You do that, but there's something I have to go take care of."

Aya let him go grudgingly, grumbling about how she wished she had her living teddy bear. Easily, she called Oki to take Minamaru's place, burying her nose into the ruff of the wolf's fur.

Minamaru stood from the bed and walked and opened the door slowly, taking a deep breath as he closed it silently behind himself.

From there, it only took three minutes to find his destination.

The library was large and possibly never ending. Yellowing scrolls were carefully hung in assorted shelves, newer volumes placed accordingly, stretching from wall to wall in the rectangular room. The books covered every wall but the one that had door on it, even that one holding a shelf or two of the literature.

Listening closely for the tell tale signs of life. There was a moment of intense silence, then Kanaye moved out from behind a bookcase, placing a scroll back where it belonged. He didn't acknowledge Minamaru, but it was clear by his coming forth that he was aware of him.

That did not stop the redhead from ignoring him as he then went about attempting to walk around Minamaru out of the only door. Not, of course, that Minamaru let him.

Beneath his hand, the one he had placed over the warmth of Kanaye's now bared chest, the same hand having pushed his in home kimono out of the way, he felt the redhead's heart jump. It could be because Minamaru was pushing his hips against Kanaye's, or it could have been that he was leaving open mouthed kisses behind him as a trail from Kanaye's collarbone to his lips, finally tangling his tongue with his lover's.

Hardly a moment later, Kanaye's hands were wrapped around his hips, pulling him closer. His hands wandered from there upwards, grasping the small of Minamaru's back, pressing down on it.

When they separated, it was because Kanaye ripped himself away from Minamaru as if he had spontaneously combusted into flames. He stared at Minamaru as he panted, his hands clenched at his sides. Minamaru watched him, a flush across his cheeks as he felt his skin tingle, even beneath the yoga pants he wore with the white wife beater. _Especially_ with the wife beater on.

"What is this?"

Minamaru met Kanaye's eyes, acknowledging the snarled question with a small smile.

"I'm fighting… I want you… I want you for ever and for always, just like mommy wants with raccoon daddy. But I'm not getting rid of our babies. I'm going to fight for them too."

He leaped forward, forcing Kanaye to either catch him, or let him fall. As tantalizing at the latter was, he outstretched his arms, catching the insane boy against his chest as the younger slapped their lips together once more.

Before Kanaye could stop himself, he kneaded the flesh of Minamaru's ass, shuddering as the familiar jolt of excitement zinged up and down his body.

Then he did stop himself. He forced his lips from Minamaru's, stopped his hands from moving, and stopped himself from thrusting up against the curve of Minamaru's ass.

"Not until you're comfortable, Arune… I need you to want this before we-"

Kanaye groaned as Minamaru pushed Kanaye's kimono down from his muscled chest, running the tips of his fingers down Kanaye's back as the flesh was revealed. Then he let his hands wander, tracing the quivering muscle to Kanaye's abs… He smirked as the redhead arched into his touch, his obsidian eyes clouding with lust.

"Even better… _I_ need this. _Now_. Or are you not man enough for me, Kan-koi?"

Kanaye growled, groping Minamaru's ass as he shoved his erection up against it, making Minamaru gasp then moan, his hands gripping Kanaye's shoulders.

"Sometimes, you make me wonder if I am… Then you make sounds like that and I stop thinking like a human altogether."

Kanaye walked forward until Minamaru was pressed between him and the wall that was not decorated with books, descending his lips upon Minamaru's once more.

His hands pushed at the soft fabric of Minamaru's yoga pants, forcing them off of Minamaru to bare his buttocks.

Kanaye touched his fingers to his own lips, his eyes burning eternally. Before he could began lubrication his fingers to stretch Minamaru with, the younger boy leaned forward, taking the digits into his own mouth instead.

He was going to heal… And it started _now_. What Hito had made him do once, he had done dozens of times with Kanaye of his own free will. Every time felt better than the last.

He released the slick fingers with a pop, his dark purple eyes staring teasingly into Kanaye's heated obsidian ones.

"Wipe him away, Kanaye. I don't want to remember him, I want you to be my only one."

Minamaru reached between them, undoing the obi that held Kanaye's in home kimono modestly shut, as the older man drifted his wet fingers down the curve of Minamaru's butt in between each cheek, massaging one digit against the tight ring of muscles keeping him out. Ever so slowly, his one finger managed to slip through, wiggling his way in further. Minamaru arched his neck, the crown of his head pressing against the wall behind him. Kanaye took advantage of the open territory to suckle at the flesh, leaving behind a red bruise beneath Minamaru's jaw, then following it down, kissing his lips downwards towards one of the younger boy's nipples, taking the sensitive bud into his mouth.

Minamaru mewled, clawing at Kanaye's back. This felt good, and it was perfectly right. It was so amazingly mind blowing… and he could feel himself winding up for his release already, two weeks of chastity after six months of rigorous hormonal sex was proving to make this almost too difficult to last through.

Another digit was added to the first, painstakingly stretching the tender tissue that only he would ever know. Minamaru hissed, a smile on his lips as his mouth gaped open in pleasure of the sensations he was feeling.

After the two fingers pushed up into Minamaru, touching against his prostate, making the younger boy whimper, a third was added, then a fourth to be safe.

Finally, he removed his fingers, slick still. He looked from Minamaru, to his own member, then to his hand. With a curse, he grabbed his erection, holding Minamaru up with his other hand and a propped up leg, and plunged himself up into the younger boy.

The rainbow haired boy barely bit back his scream, biting his bottom lip to contain himself. When the redhead came into him like that, he swore he could feel him in his throat as well as his ass. Even when he saw it coming, he always felt as if he had been taken by surprise by the sheer force of it.

As Kanaye shoved his erection up into Minamaru's puckered hole, he kneaded the flesh of the younger boy's ass, nipping his teeth against the younger boy's neck. He followed it back up to his mouth, thrusting his tongue harshly and uninvited into Minamaru's mouth, matching the furious tempo he was pushing into Minamaru with.

Minamaru met him with his own challenge, fighting his entry with his own tongue, clashing their teeth together.

When they were unbearably close to their end, Kanaye panting, his eyes fixed with delightful pleasure upon Minamaru's flushed face, he slammed himself into Minamaru at a new angle, hitting the younger boy's G-spot with precise direction.

In that moment, Minamaru mewled again, his back arching off of the wall flush against Kanaye's chest with his own, his slim, pale figure almost gleaming in the light of the candles lit in the library. He came hard, his essence spurting directly upwards, hitting both of their chests. With Minamaru's walls clenching and squeezing around him, Kanaye could only thrust once more before he was forced to cum as well, his teeth clenched together as his obsidian orbs scorched Minamaru.

"Mine!"

"Yes!"

Minamaru whimpered in reply to Kanaye's growling shout, his nails digging into Kanaye's shoulders as his body dealt with the aftershocks.

Seconds later, Kanaye nuzzled his face into the junction of Minamaru's neck, his shoulders quivering as a sheen of sweat covered both of them. Trembling, he slid down onto his knees, bringing Minamaru down with him so the younger boy rested on his lap.

They sat there for a while longer, allowing them to feel once more and the sweat to dry. Reluctantly, unable to keep himself within his lover, Kanaye's erections slipped out of Minamaru. Kanaye continued to hide his face in Minamaru's shoulder, even as Minamaru began humming, a soft smile upturning his lips.

"You're going to fight?"

"Yes… Because I love you all too much to abandon you all to your desolate, cold fates… Face it, you all need me."

Kanaye did not react to Minamaru's humor. Minamaru tilted his head curiously.

"How much do you love me?"

"Love?"

Minamaru laughed softly at Kanaye's incredulous tone.

"Yep, love!"

"I don't love you."

The certain, cold tone in which his lover said it with made it feel as if ice had covered his heart. All joy was erased from his face, his expression going slack.

"O-oh…"

He opened his mouth once, closed it, repeated the actions a few times, then looked away, shifting away from Kanaye's touch. He didn't get far, remaining caught as the redhead's arms tightened around him, his face still tucked into Minamaru's shoulder.

"Why are you trying to leave?"

Minamaru was numb, slower to anger as he was to confusion.

"You don't… care for me…"

Slowly, Kanaye lifted his face up, meeting Minamaru's confused gaze with a quirked eyebrow.

"When did I say I didn't care for you?"

"If you don't love me, then you're just… using me…"

It was the entirely wrong thing to say. Kanaye's eyebrows drew together in anger, his teeth clenching as his obsidian eyes spat fire.

"_Using _you? Because what I feel for you can't be classified as love, I can't be feeling anything other for you but lust? You've known me for more 10 years now, and you think I would use somebody?"

"Then what am I to you? You don't love me, but you're not using me, so what are you doing?"

Minamaru could not stop himself from pressing his lips against Kanaye's as the redhead touched his mouth to him.

"I am yours. Willing to die for you, to live for you. One person can love as many beings as there are, can claim their love for another dozens of times a day, but what I feel for you is too strong to call it such a common word."

He pressed his forehead against Minamaru's, his eyes falling to half mast as Minamaru's eyes widened in realization, his mouth parting.

"I thought I understood father all those years ago when he explained to me an emotion stronger than love, something so strong, it makes the red affection look like hate."

His arms clung to Minamaru, his teeth gritting together.

"I didn't know shit until Lady Tsunade told me you were going to die to give birth to children I didn't even know you were capable of conceiving until you were already pregnant."

He dragged in a deep breath, his head pushing against Minamaru's chest.

"Damn it, you're going to leave me."

Minamaru blinked, and then wrapped his arms around Kanaye's shoulders, rubbing his cheek over the top of his head.

"I'm not going anywhere… I'm going to stay right here with you , and our man babies."

The door slammed open, startling Minamaru enough that he gaped at the intruder and Kanaye jerked his kimono up around them like a cover up.

Aya stared at them, her opaque eyes wide, her hand on the door and the other on the jam.

There was one long silence, then a short one to follow. Minamaru's surprise turned into a blank stare, Kanaye's blank stare into a scowl, and Aya remained blank faced.

"I heard the words 'man babies'… But I guess you were both practicing how to make them…for when these man babies are all out of your special place… I'll be gone now."

She disappeared as if she had never been, leaving behind a shattered moment.

Minamaru blinked, Kanaye sighed… then the rainbow haired boy began laughing, holding Kanaye's shoulders in his hands as he rested his forehead against Kanaye's.

"I love our family!"

Kanaye had nothing to say, but Minamaru still purred when the redhead's lips turned upwards.

* * *

A very busy chapter, but I wanted to get the dread done with… Somehow, I ended up going above and beyond, even giving up a lovely smut. I can't believe Kanaye is so romantic! That wasn't at all how he was supposed to explain it… But, yeah, the exchange of love words was an idea ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart told me today… Yesterday. It's 3:42 a.m., January 9 of 2010... Damn.


	72. I Cry for My Love

Lee, in his 20 years of marriage to his redheaded devil, had learned many things about the Wind country's ruler.

Many of those things were obvious, such as that Gaara did not like to show emotion in public, or that he had once been a jinchuuraki. Things such as his having an older sister named Temari, an older brother named Kankuro, as well as a neglectful father that had been killed during the chuunin exams by Orochimaru. His favorite food was cow tongue, he liked his coffee three times a day with seven teaspoons of sugar in each, and the scar on his forehead was to remind himself to only love himself.

Some of them were only known by him, such as Gaara's sleeping arrangements.

When they had first became intimate, sleeping in the same bed, Gaara had not been… cuddly… As a matter of fact, there had been a long number of nights when Lee had woken up to find that Gaara was on the opposite side of the bed, as far from his as was possible.

Ever so slowly, however… Actually, not slowly at all. Spontaneously, one morning, Lee had woken up, most rested he had ever before felt, to find Gaara's arms securely bound around him, holding his back to the redhead's chest.

After a while, oddly enough, he began to notice a… pattern…

That night, that first night he had awoken with Gaara's arms around him, then had drifted off once more. He had came back into consciousness with Gaara's fingers thrusting in and out of his puckered hole, his skin already glistening with sweat, his breath puffing in and out of his chest. When he had attempted to sit up, thinking to look over his shoulder as his lover, the redhead had pushed him back onto the bed, not harshly, but not gently either. The lovemaking that had occurred had been at a steady pace, not rough, but not quite making love. No, it had been… sex. Penetrating, throbbing, sweaty sex.

Not a year after that first time, Lee had came to assume that sex would occur whenever Gaara held him from behind. Ever so slowly, he had learned to predict what days he could _try_ and prepare himself for it as well. It was whenever Gaara had a normal day at the office, paperwork or meetings that went well in his favor, usually resulted in sex. Despite knowing this, there was no such thing as preparing himself. After 20 years, one would think that he would be tired of the continuous awakening, but it was always more exciting than the last…

Especially since they had not had sex in nearly two weeks. Oh no, there was a different type of loving for every different mood.

When ever Gaara's hands rested on his hips, the redhead's pelvis flush against the curve of his buttocks, Lee was certain that he would experience pain for the rest of the day after morning. To put it shrewdly, even if he would never say it aloud, there was only one way to describe the way Gaara would love him when waking up from that position, they would… fuck… Those nights, there was no warning, there was no preparations. There was only enough time to wake up screaming, only enough time to feel as his lover penetrates him in one rough thrust, listen to his redheaded devil growl in ecstasy… listen to himself whimper and beg for a mercy that would never come to him until the redhead hade came till he was satisfied. Then, and only then, would Gaara allow him to cum, letting him rest.

Lee disliked how he could not find another name for those passionate nights, but he could not help but shiver and gasp whenever they entered his mind. Those nights occurred when the wildness that was still very much a part of Gaara reared it's stately head, whether because of a psychotically damaging mission, or meetings that had gone very far off the track he had meant for it. Basically, the nights where the power that Gaara had to carry on his shoulders, the acts he was capable of but reluctant to do, came crashing down around him. Those nights, it was not about being intimate, it was about shedding his redheaded devil of his demons.

Strangely, however, they had not… well, they had not had such passionate nights in two weeks as well.

It was those nights where he would awaken to discover that his head rested on Gaara's chest, one of Gaara's arms wrapped about him, that colored him red and made him wanton. Those nights, his redheaded devil relinquished his power, waking him up with the speaking of his name, then urging him to touch his pale skin. No orders, no rush, just urges… As well as one other condition. When Gaara relinquished control, he wanted to be ridden. He wanted Lee above him, taking the redhead deeply into his body at his own pace, sitting on his lap, touching Gaara instead of the other way around. Those nights, his redheaded devil wished for Lee to have control, in the only way he could give it. Whether the redhead was sitting up as well, or was lying on his back, he wanted Lee on him, taking him in and letting him watch.

Those nights, Lee referred to role playing. It was not as if they dressed up or acted strangely, it was just that Gaara was a man who needed to keep constant control, while Lee was a man who liked to be challenged. Whenever he would take his redheaded devil into his own body, choosing their pace, choosing just how deep he wanted his lover, or how shallow, he was not being challenged. There was no challenge in that position. He was not being challenged to hold his wits, not being challenged to win Gaara's mercy, not being challenged in the least. Those nights, however, were not about passionate challenges. Those nights were about taking control out of the hands of his redheaded devil, letting Gaara know he could depend upon him to bring them to their end.

Those nights… Yes, they had happened in the past two weeks. He would awaken to hearing his name, then he would love Gaara as he wished.

When he would awake with his head tucked against Gaara's chest as they faced each other, their arms wrapped around one another, were his favorite nights. Of course, he loved every act of passion and intimacy that he and his redheaded devil took part in, but those nights were most precious to him. Those nights, they were healing. Those nights, he would awaken slowly, almost trapped in a dream like state. He would only be able to feel, feel as Gaara's hands wandered over his skin, feel Gaara's lips as they whispered across his flesh. By the time Gaara would get to stretching him, preparing him for passion that would be slow and gentle, he would just be waking up, trembling and moaning, his mouth moving but not a sound escaping him. By the time he would realize his arms were wound around Gaara's neck, his legs around his waist, pulling the redhead into him ever so lovingly, that would be when it would first occur to him to open his eyes, when he would first realize he was awake and not dreaming. There was no biting, no demands… No lust.

These nights, he called making love. There was comfort and need, but no fire. These nights had been happening so often in the past two weeks, Lee had come to sleep on his right side instead of his left, awaiting Gaara's embrace. These nights happened because… Because they needed it. There was no other way to explain it, not really.

These past two weeks… No one had been able to bear it, not really. Jun's near death, Minamaru's capture and almost rape, killing Hito once more…

Lee was shedding himself of his spandex, slipping into his green boy shorts and a large green T-shirt. Behind him, he could hear his lover slipping into his own nightwear, which was simply a pair of black pants.

He turned back to Gaara as he took his braid out from under his shirt, his obsidian eyes tired, but still alive. Gaara's blue-green ones met his, his emotions hidden behind the pale haze.

Even as they stepped into each other, Lee sliding his cheek against Gaara's, their arms winding around each other, tears were slipping from his eyes freely.

Somehow, everyone had gotten through this alive. Aya had lived because of their daughter, Kouga had lived because of Aya. Jun had lived… _somehow_, even though the healing nins had thought it too late when they had first arrived on the scene. Minamaru, who this was all meant to hurt, was going to survive, was going to _heal_, because he was strong. Tenten was alive because Neji loved her enough to have made sure that their own child didn't hurt her. Hinata was alive, just by chance. Lee? Who had had three attempts against him? He was going to live because he had people he needed to live for, too many things he had yet to do. Life was too precious for any one of them to give up on. For one reason or another, every attempt made by Hito had failed, but fear was still left behind.

"I love you… _So much…"_

Gaara remained silent, holding Lee to his chest. Lee choked on a chuckle that was a sob as well.

"Gaara-love, has anyone told you that love is not measured by it's name, but by how powerful one feels it for another?"

He kissed Gaara on the lips, squeezing his lover tightly for a moment, then slipped away to climb onto the bed, getting beneath the covers. Seconds later, the bed dipped and the covers moved once more, then warmth was pressed flush against Lee's back. His redheaded devil placing his hand on his hips and holding him so close, Lee could feel his lover's hip bones against his back, his pelvis against the curve of Lee's buttocks.

Lee shivered, gasping slightly.

A third sense told him that this had to do with the interrogation Gaara had had with the rock natives that had watched over Hito.

An approaching chakra signal made him sit up in bed, awaiting his daughter's entry. Behind him, his lover became tense, his jaw clenching as the pupils of his eyes became smaller.

They both knew what this meant, and, looking at Gaara, Lee realized the redhead may need this too much to allow it to happen.

Koi opened the door slowly, peeking into the room with large haunted eyes.

"Mommy? Daddy? Can I sleep here tonight?"

Lee was opening his mouth to say yes, and paused when he felt Gaara's hands tighten on his hips till they were near bruising, a feat that usually wasn't possible unless it was uncontrollable, seeing as how Lee had taken so many hits to his sides. His mouth gaped open as he attempted to find the right words to say.

In that moment, he was needed by two of his most important people, and unable to fulfill both of their needs.

If he let Koi sleep with them, Gaara would go through tomorrow, ridden by his demons, because Koi would not wake up until after Gaara had left, and Lee could not leave her to sleep alone, and Gaara had so many meetings tomorrow, diplomats of the rock country he had to see…

The hands on his hips softened as his lover put his needs after his daughter's, almost making Lee cry again. Gaara shifted away from him, removing the covers from them so Koi could sleep between them. His way of controlling himself.

Lee's hand clenched in the bed covers, watching with pain as his daughter scurried onto the bed.

He could not say no to either of them. With what Koi had been through during this difficult time, having had to save Aya and then be witness to Hito's attack, Jun's supposed murder… He could not tell her that they needed some adult time, she needed them… so badly…

He looked back to the door, a moment before a knock sounded.

Aya stepped through, looking at them with questioning eyes. She looked from Lee's torn gaze to Gaara's blank expression, to the stiff child between them.

After a moment of putting it together for herself, figuring that Lee needed to do something but couldn't by his expression, she smiled brightly, leaping onto the bed so Koi yelped in surprise, Lee's blinking in bewilderment. Strangely, Gaara remained blank faced, as if he was distancing himself.

She began tickling Koi, making the young girl squeal.

"What are you doing in here, child? Don't you wanna be with rainbows and raccoon junior?"

She giggled, then frowned up at Aya.

"I couldn't find them! Then I did, but big brother told me that he needed time with firefly… I think they were making up… Did you know big brother and firefly were fighting?"

"They weren't fighting, they were just having a -… They needed to have some time, that's all."

Then she grinned, as if she had gotten a wonderful idea.

"Hey, I know! I'm having a late night tonight, staying with Jun, and I need someone to sleep with Oki in my room! She gets scared when she's alone. Can you do that for me, please? She can be your huge furry pillow… And if you have any nightmares, she can eat them for you!"

Koi looked up at her, then to her 'mother'.

"Can I, mommy?"

Lee sighed, his chin trembling as he held his sobs. He managed to nod, then held his daughter close to him, before handing her off into Aya's arms. As he did so, he leaned close into Aya's ears.

"Thank you…"

"No problem."

Aya winked as she leaned away, Koi held high to her chest. She got off the bed and walked out of the door, moving away quickly before Koi could see the tears that slipped down

The first drop didn't even fall from his eyelashes, his redheaded devil there too fast.

Family was a wonderful thing to have…

* * *

I don't know why, but how Gaara would hold Lee at night got stuck in my head for a few days. I was feeling lazy, so I didn't write the idea down when it first came to me. I knew it was a solid idea, because it remained stuck with me for the days I didn't write it.

I suggest anyone interested in horror watch the movie 'fingerprints'. I was watching it as I was writing this. Has anyone noticed that I've been favoring Aya? No idea why… You know what? It would awesome if I was like her! X3 I'd be kick ass.

Oh, by the way, this is happening the same day (night) as the last chapter. I love you all, but your reviews prove your love for me!


	73. Truth about Aya

"Sleep is defined as 'a state of partial or full unconsciousness in people and animals, during which voluntary functions are suspended and the body rests and restores itself'. Does this act sound familiar to you? Perhaps, maybe you remember once partaking in it?"

Aya snorted, rolling her eyes away from her former team captain, as they continued to walk the length of the Suna's protective walls.

"Maybe some faint memory of it. I think I blinked and then I opened my eyes and it was suddenly morning. Freaked me out so bad, I screamed for pup daddy."

Hitori gave her a drawl expression before turning his eyes to the horizon once more.

He had arrived spontaneously by her side a half a hour or so again, her having been alone for two hours now. After Minamaru had left her at three in the morning, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Instead, she had wandered pointlessly down the halls, came across Koi walking as well, and had followed her silently to her parent's room. She had waited a moment after the girl had gone in, felt Lee's distressed chakra, and had then followed her in.

After she had put Koi into her own bed, she had left for the outside, walking without direction throughout the city streets. Jun didn't need her, he was with Samaie. Having gotten the fiancé to leave for the few hours so Jun and Arune could spend some alone time together had been difficult enough, getting back in there so early in the morning was _not_ happening.

Now, the village below them was already moving about their day, working to beat the noon day sun. After only three hours of sleep, she was exhausted, and ready to nod off. Terror kept her from doing so, terror and insomnia. Ever since Lee's first brush with death, with what they had done that night, she had never been right again. There, on the edge of her conscience, a fury snarled and howled, hating everyone around her. To an Inuzuka, that madness was the equivalent of rabies. The only good thing about it was that it wasn't contagious. She needed more and more time each day alone to fight it, keeping herself away and still be there for her family.

Somehow, this bastard still ended up finding her, no matter where she hid herself away. For that, she hated his fucking _guts_. A beautiful vision was dancing before her eyes of shoving him over the side of the wall, but she knew it wouldn't work. He'd poof and be behind her before he would hit the bottom, an eyebrow quirked as if she had done nothing more than curse his name. There was no disconcerting the jackass.

She met eyes with a passing guard, then looked with bored attention to her companion.

"So… life in hell, how's that going?"

"It's passing me by. How is life in your nightmares?"

She looked to the sunrise, the dim light casting shadows over the bruises under her eyes. She sighed heavily, bending herself forward so she could rest her head on her arms, leaning against the wall.

"It's goin'."

He looked from her, to the dawn, and sighed. He leaned down, putting one arm around the back of her knees, his other one open. Just as she turned to him with a 'WTF?' look on her face, he tripped her, standing in the same instant so she fell into his other waiting arm. Tense and looking apprehensive, she looked up at him with a grimace, then rolled her eyes as he began walking with her held high to his chest.

"Wow, you've _really _swept me off of my feet this time."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

She raised an eyebrow, a dull expression on her face.

"Yesh, masteh! Let me take out my sleeping powder and spray myself with it."

"I have a better idea."

The pupils of Aya's eyes became large, overwhelming the opaque of her irises, before they shrank to the size of a pen point, all in one second, reflexively swallowing. In the next second, her head lolled on the back of her neck, her eyes shut as her chest calmed in slumber.

Hitori took his mouth from her, spitting off to the side to rid himself of the taste that came from the pill he had hidden underneath his tongue, then ran his tongue over his lips to catch the last of her unique flavor.

With the next step, a swirl of ice crystals came around them, then dissipated, leaving nothing behind.

This was the third time this month he had had to abduct the irresponsible woman and force her to rest.


	74. Bath Time

Among the strange customs of Suna, the desert capital of the Wind country, the hidden village with a Kazekage that had once been a jinchuuraki, the water restrictions were one of the most… unique.

For tourists and outsiders, it was the worst condition they could face in the dry heated surroundings. For natives, it was a way of life.

For lovers, it was one of the most sensual activities of each day.

First, a small basin would be filled with heated water. The person in need of washing would take a hand towel, dunk it into the basin, and scrub away the dirt and stink of the day. Once that person had gotten most of the filth away, the water in the basin mucky, they would step into the shower and rinse the rest away, effectively saving water.

The sensuality of it came from who washed the person.

Minamaru was practically purring, feeling the rough, damp hand towel scrub over his back, then circle around to his chest, cleaning away the sweat and dirt that had gathered.

Five months pregnant, he had long since been taken off of the active list, which gave him so much less to do during the day… which caused many disastrous happenings around him. This morning, he had made breakfast… and had had to invite all 47 of the house staff and surrounding people that had been walking random about to finish off the leftovers his family had not been able to eat. By the time those 47 people had been full, each had agreed to take some home with them to eat later. The chef had then refused to let Minamaru back into the kitchen to make lunch, no matter how good of a cook he was. He had clearly made too many servings.

Next, he had stalked his raccoon daddy's personal guard, annoying the hell out of them and exasperating his raccoon daddy, up until Kanaye had caught him and brought him back home. When that had happened, he had stalked his uncle Kanky, stealing the kitty hat from off of his head three times in a row. When uncle Kanky had prepared to murder him, he had turned his attention to Aunt Temari, laughing madly when he had managed to get her riled up enough that she had taken her fan out on him. When her attack had came a little to close for his rounding belly, he had called it quits and decided that the best thing to do would be to use his lover as a scratching post.

That hadn't lasted two minutes before he had started dragging his nails down Kanaye's back for other reasons.

That had been three or so hours ago, both of them still naked and two basins laid beside them. Just as the towel Kanaye was holding ran down Minamaru's thigh, cleaning away the essence that had leaked there, the towel Minamaru was holding continued to wipe away the blood on the redhead's back, cleaning out the marks he had made not too long ago.

Cupping his hands, he dunked them into the basin of water he was using for Kanaye, then spilled the water over the head of red hair, watching as the strands seemed to bleed.

Of course, the only thing he was wiping from Kanaye was the blood, sweat, and the essence that had spurted onto his chest. As if sand would stick to the Sabaku against his will. Nope, Kanaye had the short end of the stick, having to wipe away blood, sweat, essence, powder, dough, filling, dirt, and sand off of his lover. He was as dirty as a child after finger painting.

Kanaye sighed as he dunked the towel into the already mucky water, and dragged it over the other leg, wiping away more of the evidence of Minamaru's mischievous day. He was going to leave Minamaru's hair for the shower, not even daring to touch the length of multi colored strands with the amount of water he had beside him.

Minamaru giggled as the fabric tickled his inner thigh, squirming from where he sat across from Kanaye on the floor of the shower, so close to each other, he was almost on the redhead's lap. He laughed when Kanaye purposefully repeated the action, the redhead drifting his other hand down his spine.

When the cloth went back upwards, it rubbed away the dough that Minamaru had fingered over his extended belly earlier, having been so bored he had attempted to feed his triplets through his abdomen. Of course, it had been unsuccessful, but he, Lee, and Koi had had a lot of fun trying. Gaara and Kanaye had been exasperated, Kankuro had been irritated, and Temari had been entertained. It had been such a Kodak moment, Lee had disappeared for three minutes, and had then returned with a Kodak camera to take a picture of it. All of them were impatient for the pictures to develop.

Kanaye dumped the dirty hand towel into the murky water as he leaned back to look his lover up and down with a studying gaze, determining if Minamaru was clean enough to turn the shower on, then stood up. He leaned down and brought the large bellied man to his feet as well, reaching behind himself for the faucet handles, tensing when his back was hit with freezing cold water. His body, having developed another three inches, almost completely protected Minamaru from the spray, who he was now eye level with. At that moment, however, Minamaru had his head tucked Kanaye's chest, still purring from the day's events. He shivered when the spray touched him, mewling in the back of his throat, before he began purring again, the freezing shower becoming hot as Kanaye continued to turn the dials.

Kanaye overturned the shampoo into his hand, then took the thick liquid to Minamaru's hair, grimacing as the strands fought his attention. Minamaru, however, wiggled in ecstasy, his lips curling even more further up, his eyes closed contentedly. Languidly, he reached for the shampoo as well, almost knocking out the soap in the process. Without even looking, he scrubbed his hand into Kanaye's unruly red hair, the spikes almost instantly taming in his hands, too short to fight him.

Thinking of it that way almost made him laugh again.

It took three minutes before they shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, the basins left in the stall already rinsed out with them.

Minamaru leaned against Kanaye, glowing in his pregnancy, then allowed himself to fall backwards, cooing as Kanaye sighed and picked him up before his feet left the ground. He tucked his hands against his cheek as Kanaye held him high to his chest, sighing happily.

He felt so spoiled… What were the chances he could get Kanaye to get him a bowl of strawberry ice cream with some of mommy's curry, raccoon daddy's cow tongue, pepperoni, chocolate syrup, and crispy chicken topped on it?

When Kanaye laid himself down behind him, wrapping his hot body around his own cool one, Minamaru decided that he would rather have his living heating pad… At least until the bed was warm…

* * *

Lee hummed off key as he took the towel to the redhead's dripping hair, rubbing each spike of hair until they were dry. Gaara was absentmindedly running another towel over Lee's back, catching the last of the drops of water. They were sitting in the center of their bed, newly showered and refreshed, and were now drying each other. Lee's legs were stretched apart to accommodate Gaara's position between them, bent over Gaara's knees. His lover's head was resting on his shoulder, the man already breathing deeply as his skin rippled with the attention.

Once Gaara's head of red was completely dry, no longer a bleeding red, but it's rose red instead, Gaara lifted his face up, finally grabbing the long length of raven hair in the green fold of the towel and following each strand down to it's end. He had learned that rubbing the hair as Lee was capable of doing with him only ended in bothersome affairs, the hair tangling constantly. It was best to follow each strand from its root to its end, drawing the precious liquid from it. It was Lee's turn to put his head into Gaara's shoulder, his lips turned up contently as a heated blush touched his cheeks.

Side wounds, back wounds, chest wounds, arm wounds, leg wounds… each had deadened his sense of touch that much more, calling for rougher and rougher attention to actually feel something. Of course, there was always areas that could be touched when the need for violence was low and loving high. There were places on his body that were so overly sensitive, they could make him cry out just by being brushed.

Every time Gaara dragged his tongue behind his ears, he would shiver. Whenever Gaara's mouth would whisper over his inner most thigh, he would cry out. Every time he would knead his buttocks, he would moan. His lips, his throat, the back of his neck,… his scalp.

His hums became moans in the back of his throat as his eyes became heavy lidded with pleasure.

His hair took an extendedly longer time to dry than his redhead lover's, giving him plenty of time to slowly rub Gaara dry, nearly asleep by the time Gaara dropped the towel to rest on his shoulders.

Nudging Lee, he managed to get the older boy to turn his head so he could reach the overabundance of black hair, starting at the roots once more, as he twined each tress together, steadily forming the braid that would reach to Lee's waist. Lee's one hand, resting on Gaara's chest next to his head, curled into itself, the skin of his back shivering in bliss.

Gaara was always quick to catch on to things, and quick to learn anything that came to him, a very intellectual person. When he had decided he was going to learn how to braid Lee's hair, back when it had only reached beneath his shoulder blades, however, he had learned it to an art. Once he had realized just how much pleasure it brought Lee, it had became an almost tradition between them for Gaara to braid it. Whether it was the simple way, Lee's back to Gaara, or the harder way, Lee's front to his, he braided it. There were only four people in the world that were allowed to do so: Gaara, Lee, Minamaru, and Koi.

Gaara finished twining the tresses together once he reached the small of Lee's back, then laid his palm flat against the expense of skin, looking down at the crown of Lee's head, listening to the man sleep.

"Lee, wake up."

He moved away from his lover, standing from the bed to throw both damp towels into the bin, as he listened to Lee complain softly. He went back to the bed and laid himself down on the pillows, lacing his fingers beneath his head as he closed his darkly marked eyes. A second later, arms were securely wound around his waist, Lee putting his head over his heart and throwing one leg over Gaara's waist, a smile on his face.

Gaara dragged the blanket over their bodies. He put one hand into Lee's bound hair, letting his other hand rest on Lee's.

"I love you, Gaara…"

He leaned up, touching his lips to the redhead's, before his head fell back down.

"Good night."

He whispered his lips over Lee's scalp in return, not saying a word.

As if he had said a thousand, Lee flushed pleasantly. Across his lips, the soft, wide smile that was meant only for Gaara bloomed.

* * *

I didn't want to ruin the beauty of it by mentioning anything about the earlier chapters. So, yeah, this is about two to four weeks after the last three chapters… Ain't it wonderful? I don't honestly know where the idea came from… except for part two of it. For the life of me, I can't remember the title, but it had 88 chapters and was centered around SasuNaru, and was also an mpreg story… Except Lee was with Sakura and Gaara had a one-sided love for Naruto… Naruto and Sasuke, basically, was the only gay couple in that one… But it was very good, truly! Because Naruto did give birth to a boy who was gay… That made two.


	75. I'M IN LABOR!

"Hello!? Heeelllloooo?"

The rainbow haired boy giggled, then went out into laughter when Koi tapped her fist to his overly large belly, curiosity on her face.

"They're not talking to me!"

"Honey, they can't talk to you yet. But if you put your hand very close to them, they'll try and high five you!"

Koi blinked up at him, looked to his bare belly, then placed her hand flatly on its surface, waiting curiously for the phenomenon. She gasped when something tiny kicked her palm, ripping her hand away from the taut skin with shocked awe on her face.

"One of them high fived me!"

Minamaru chuckled, then placed his hand over his belly, meeting Koi's eyes with pride.

"I can get all three of them to high five me at once."

Koi watched him as if he were a magician about to perform his finale, her mouth a small 'o' of impatience. When she saw the skin bump three times simultaneously around Minamaru's hand, she began clapping madly, squealing with joy.

On the bed with them, Makato only watched with dry interest, up until Koi began squealing with joy. Then he watched the girl with apt attention, his Icha Icha novel suddenly second in his mind.

Koi was just too cute, even for him.

Minamaru had been moved to Konoha during the last three months of his pregnancy, Lady Tsunade certain that travel would be impossible after that point. She had been right; it had been nearly impossible _while_ they were traveling, taking them twice as long to reach their destination. Once Minamaru had been situated, he had been left under the care of their Konoha family, Aya and Jun being his foremost guardians. Lee had been near tears when he had had to leave, wanting to stay terribly, but having to go to execute a B-rank mission, something that could possibly take him two months at most. Kanaye and Gaara had returned to Suna, business they had to attend to before they could stay by his side. For his comfort, Koi had stayed with him, having been decided that, no matter how good Gaara and Kanaye were, Koi was not going to stay alone with them for two months while her 'mommy' was gone. She had begun to go on an energy streak, meaning that she was becoming just as bad as the whole second generation gang had been as children. In her gang, Makato and Kouga were loyal followers, though Makato usually took the lead, which ended up in a mini war against Kouga, which came up with Koi leading once more.

He had been put on bed rest 32 days after arrival, seeing as how he was spotting blood and had begun to cramp. Luckily, the babies were okay. Unfortunately, Minamaru was not. The chances of him dying were now raised, and everyone was aware of it. Kanaye had finished whatever business it was, and had returned 19 hours after the letter had reached him that Minamaru was doing worse. He had barged into Minamaru's temporary room in Samaie's and Jun's apartment, sweaty, breathing hard, and furious. Minamaru had stared at the vision before him, then whimpered, throwing whatever was in arm's reach at the redhead in hormonal fury. It wasn't fair that he couldn't have sex with his redhead when he was looking _that_ good.

Now, Kanaye was in the chair furthest away from the bed, giving Minamaru the closest thing he could have to privacy with the two children. Minamaru was allowed to get up for one thing, and that was the restroom. At this point, however, even that right was questionable. Everything else, Kanaye was his slave to get it. The power was nice… The fact that he couldn't do what he wanted to do with it was frustrating.

Minamaru smiled for both of the children, insanely happy that he had gotten news yesterday that his raccoon daddy and mommy were on their way here and would be arriving today, and dearly wishing that the two babies would walk out of the room for… reasons.

One: The back pain was becoming too much to handle.

Two: The cramps were becoming closer and closer together.

Three: He didn't want them to hear him scream bloody murder.

Four: Kanaye was starting to catch on.

His redhead had been eyeing him for the pass hour, his obsidian eyes becoming more and more narrowed in suspicion, and arms tightly folded over his chest.

Minamaru laughed as Koi was hugged by Makato, her eyes curiously turning to the white-haired boy, before Makato smooched her on the lips, a happily content smile on his lips. She giggled, though she still had no idea what the action meant when carried out by the blue-eyed devil. Minamaru whipped out his phone, and began texting. When he sent the message, he snapped it shut, then hugged the embracing children, cooing the whole way.

From across the room, _Every time we touch _by Cascada blared into the room, making Kanaye look down to his pocket, back up to Minamaru's stretching smile, then flipping his phone open to look at the text.

'I'M IN LABOR, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!! HOSPITAL, NOW!!!'

He snapped it shut, completely calm looking as he shooed the two children out of the room, deaf to their complaints… and promptly began to freak out as he wrapped the pregnant man up in his black sand as if he were as fragile as porcelain.

"You idiot! You couldn't have said something earlier? Why the hell didn't you tell me when it first started? I'm over there trying to figure it out for myself, and you're being happy-go-lucky! If these babies don't kill you, I'll make fucking sure to do it myself, you STUPID BOY!!!"

Minamaru whimpered, then groaned, his hands clenched in the fabric above his furiously clenching stomach.

"I feel the love…"

"You better damn well feel the love! You'll be feeling it all over your ass when I get the fucking chance!"

In a hail of black sand, as well as a moaning scream from the rainbow haired boy, they were gone from the room. Outside the door, Koi had a look of horror on her face as Makato merely looked pissed, his ears pressed flat over the girl's in a last ditch attempt to keep her innocence.

"Wh-what did he mean, 'you'll be feeling it all over your… butt… when I get the f-ing chance?"

"Nothing! Nothing… Just don't worry about it, Koi, it's all okay…"

He held the dearly confused girl to his chest, stroking back her hair as she grabbed onto the lengthening strands of his hair in need of comfort. It took another moment before it occurred to her what this meant. With a gasp, she separated herself from him, her eyes teary as a large smile descended on her face.

"I'm gonna be an auntie today!"

She grabbed his hand and made a run for it, dragging the white-haired boy behind herself.

"We gotta go Kouga! Because brother makes the babies!"

At the foot of the stairs, something stopped the girl, her eyes staring blankly at the door ahead of them, then turned to Makato, blinking in tumult. She looked behind herself as Makato, her lips turned downward in a pout.

"How did brother make babies?"

For the first time in his young life, a solid blush could be seen across the cheeks of the Hatake child, his eyes blank as he became lost in some other fantasy. He had to cup his hand over his nose, shaking his head falsely.

"One day, Koi… When we're old enough… I'll show you how Minamaru made babies… But, right now, I'm not a pedophile, so that's going to have to wait."

Koi listened to Makato's sputtering, then blinked in confusion again.

"Mommy told me that a pedophile was a really old person who was trying to hurt a really young person! You're only a year older than me!"

Using the hand not covered in blood, he stroked Koi's hair, pity on his face.

"In body, Koi. In mind, I have far surpassed your age."

She pouted, jerked on his arm, and began running again.

"You're confusing!"

_You're too cute for your own good… _

But he didn't say that out loud, allowing her to drag him away instead in search of his rival. He didn't mind so much that Kouga spent time with them… As long as the mutt didn't try to lead him.

* * *

Wooo! I was working around writer's block when I first began writing this chapter. There were so many ideas in my head, I couldn't get myself to focus. But I dids it! Anywho, ridiculously long and dotted name heart wanted me to write a moment with Koi talking to Minamaru's babies… while they were still fetuses. I couldn't quite do that, as you can see, but I tried. It took me three different attempts to get this, and I am insanely proud of myself. Ha! I had to have Koi ask Makato where babies came from… There was just no question about it.


	76. Beautiful Life

"We're losing him!"

Squealing cries could faintly be heard in the background, the sound ignored in favor of listening to his fading heart.

"Damn it, get the last one out! We have to bring him back!"

For moments, all he could do was listen, feeling himself float in an almost peaceful ecstasy.

"We don't have time! His heartbeat's stopped!"

Somewhere, he wasn't quite sure where, he blinked. Listening, he realized the retired kage was right; his heartbeat had ceased. For some strange reason, he honestly could not care. There was a haze between himself and reality.

Looking down, he was aware only of the three beautiful children spread out on three different colored blankets. They were all each equally pale, though one of them was pale in the sense of a natural tan color, this one on a forest green blanket, underneath the white mucus like substance that covered them. One of the two milk pale babies, this one on top of a black blanket, had tufts of red hair sticking out of it's head, dulled by the bodily fluids that had guarded his life for the pass seven months. The third, this one both milk pale and raven haired, laid on a dark blue blanket, sleeping already. The baby wrapped in green was screaming loudly, obviously upset over what was happening. The redhead was making a sound crossed between a growl and a demanding sound of need, either annoyed or desperate for attention. Each of them were so tiny… Looking down on them, he felt as if each of them could fit into the palm of his hand… simultaneously. It made him sad… For some odd reason…

Watching his own body as the healing nins swarmed around it, all of them uncertain of how to tell his family that he was gone, that they had given up on him, he noticed something… different. The shackles that had been placed on each of his wrists were shifting, the black grains dancing and jumping, circling and swirling over his skin, then expanding over his body. The healing nin that had been covering his body up with a blanket, shaking their heads in pity, Lady Tsunade cursing a blue streak, were forced away, the black grains warding them away like dark guardians.

Witnessing this, the floating entity had to cock his head, almost positive he had just heard a scream that was the definition of denial and torture. Why he did not stop to think what would cause such a pained, agonized sound from his lover, he did not know.

Instead of listening any longer, instead of fighting as he had promised, his last sight being his lover appearing into the hospital room with a mini tornado of black sand that slashed at all of the other people in the room, engulfing the three tiny babies in a small dome, he turned away, smiling one last time.

He could trust Kanaye to watch after their babies. If the dome was anything to go by, he was already going to love them like he had loved him.

"_Mino…"_

His slow retreat was stopped abruptly, his amethyst eyes widening with surprise. Spinning back around, his eyes met another pair that mimicked his entirely. Except they belonged to a woman that had not been standing in the door way a moment ago. This woman smiled at him over Kanaye's shoulder, her lips turning up gently to show perfect white teeth. Her brown hair was long and curving around her beautiful round face, her features whispering 'motherly'. She touched a femininely slim hand to his lover's shoulder, her eyes moving to look at the redhead with a deep sadness. He followed her eyes, and felt that same sadness, if not so much stronger, wrench him apart from the inside out. Falling freely from obsidian eyes, tears flowed, only making more clear the suffering and anguish in the depths of his eyes.

For just that moment, he heard the shouting and yelling of the healing nin attempting to reach his body, the crash and rustle of the black sand, the screaming of one of his babies… and the pleading of his redhead lover.

"Damn you, you told me you would stay with me! I'll do whatever you want, just don't leave me!"

The woman met his eyes, a question in her own.

"_Are you going to ignore him, Mino?"_

There was no insult to her question. It was just that, a question. It almost sounded rhetorical, actually, with how she wrapped her arms around his lover, even as he remained oblivious to her company. She stroked Kanaye's red hair, humming under her breath. Again, his lover remained deaf to her attempts at comforting him. Watching, he felt his heart tear in two.

"_Mommy… I want to hold him!" _

He attempted to do just that, moving away from whatever trance he had been in. He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, however, reach his redhead lover. His mother met his eyes, her own so hurt and teary.

"_Won't you fight for him? Won't you fight for all of them? Your new born children? Your whole entire family?"_

He sobbed, attempting to force himself further. He had no clue why, but it was almost too difficult to take those steps that would eliminate the distance between him and Kanaye. As he fought, the smile returned to his mother's face.

She moved away from Kanaye, his mouth open in a scream that he was again deaf to. She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into her arms where she coddled him lovingly.

"_I will always be waiting for you, Mino… But they need you right now… Him especially."_

Holding his hand, she backed away so they could both watch his lover scream at his unresponsive body. His mother looked on with a distant look, memories and regret in her eyes.

"_I had the chance for someone to love me like that… Don't give in now that you will let this pass you by, Mino…"_

He sobbed, tightening his grip around his mother's, then began shoving himself forward. It felt as if he were knee deep in ice the further along he moved. It felt as if so much was holding him back, whining in his ears as he moved further along. As he took that final step, his fingers brushing the smooth skin of Kanaye's tear stained face, he felt himself freeze. In his mind, he began screaming.

He had to fight, and he had to fight _now_. He couldn't leave now, not until he was the last one standing! He had people to live for, chaos to cause, and man babies to raise!

Everything became narrow, making it difficult to move and breathe. His world darkened and became claustrophobic, closing him into a small area that he was all too familiar with.

In his mind, his mother's chiming laughter could be heard.

"_Mino… You are strong enough to do anything you ever wish to do and so much more… I knew you could do it…"_

"Arune!? Arune! Get the fuck off your asses, he's breathing!"

"That's not possible!"

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave-"

"DAMN IT, HE'S ALIVE!!"

"Kanaye, if you can't control yourself, get the hell out of my hospital!"

"What is going on here?"

The smooth voice cut through the screaming and sorrow, leaving behind the crying of his babies and the harsh breathing of those around him.

"Firefly!"

On his brow, he felt the bandages that his 'mommy' wore pushing his sweaty strands from his forehead.

"Hokage-Sama, he is bleeding out! Firefly, can you hear me? Quick, we need help!"

"He's dead, god damn it!"

Another hand touched his skin, pressing long fingers against his pulse.

"You are obviously mistaken. He has a pulse, and he's breathing. Clearly, he's alive."

"What the hell!?"

Another hand, this one a woman's, touched his beating pulse. Another curse rang through the room.

"He's breathing! Get suited up here, people! Time's a factor!"

* * *

Ever so slowly, Minamaru opened his eyes. At first, he could only focus blearily on the ceiling. After blinking a few times, he realized nine things, if not one after another.

One: He was lying on Kanaye, not on the hospital bed that the redhead had decided to lie on himself.

Two: Jun, Samaie, Aya, and Hitori were in the room.

Three: Jun was using Samaie as a bed.

Four: Aya was using Hitori as a teddy bear (he notes to himself to blackmail her later)

Five: There was an incubator by his bed.

Six: That incubator contained three tiny breathing bodies.

Seven: Those three tiny breathing bodies were his babies.

Eight: Those three tiny breathing bodies were all boys.

Nine: HIS BABIES WERE IN AN INCUBATOR!?!?!?

He nearly crashed out of the hospital bed, his elbows catching his redheaded pillow in the stomach in his haste, and began crashing his closed fists against the glass.

"GET MY BABIES OUT OF THIS THING!!"

To this outburst, four different outcomes occurred.

One: Kanaye snapped up with a curse.

Two: He tackled Minamaru back onto the bed before the rainbow haired boy could actually damage the glass of the incubator.

Three: Aya jumped so high, she fell off of her perch on Hitori, crashing to the ground from where they had been laying on the couch.

Four: Three separate pairs of eyes snapped open from within the incubator.

Minamaru sobbed as he met each stare with awe. The peanut butter tan baby had eyes as dark as obsidian, so absolutely like his father's and 'grandmother's'. The only redhead of the three had eyes of blue-green, exactly like his grandfather's. The pale raven haired boy stared ahead of himself with amethyst eyes…

He buried his face into Kanaye's shoulder, tears rolling from his own eyes. The tears were from both the magic of the moment, and the pain that stabbed through his belly at the sudden movements.

"Arune, don't move."

Instead of listening to Kanaye, he struggled, squirming and twisting in an attempt to beat his lover's grip.

"What are they doing in there!? I want my babies in my arms! RIGHT NOW!!"

"You can't. Do you understand me, Arune? If you take them out now, they will die!"

That only made the rainbow haired boy sob all the more, his hands raking at the man before him in his attempt to beat him back to get to his babies.

"I can't leave them in there!"

"You have to."

"No! I don't have to! I can hold them!"

"You can't!"

"Why not!?"

Finally, he collapsed back onto the bed, too weak and tired to put up much more of a fight. Kanaye followed him onto the mattress, stroking his hair from his forehead as he drifted his lips over Minamaru's face.

"They were born too early… They need to grow appropriately before we can take them home."

"But I want them _now_."

He pulled the back of Minamaru's hair, making Minamaru meet his lips softly.

"I know you do."

He tucked Minamaru's head under his own, allowing the sobbing boy to have some level of privacy. His father and chichi, at least, had understood that they would want to be alone when they would wake up. Their gang, however, had had different plans. Now that they were awake, conversely, they met each other's eyes, then walked out of the room. Aya, out of all of them, looked back, looking to Minamaru with pain in her canine like opaque eyes. With that, it was him, his young lover, and their children.

He looked from the door to the incubator, than to the wall straight across from him, nuzzling his chin into Minamaru's hair.

"We all do…"

Then he sealed his eyes shut, and pulled the breathing, _living_ being as close as their skin and flesh would allow them.

"But _I_ need you back _first."_

Minamaru blinked, then began laughing in the back of his throat, the sound choked and hoarse.

"You cried for me… You begged for me to come back…"

Holding Kanaye in return, Minamaru could feel the redhead become stiff. A nanosecond later, Kanaye released his tension, tilting Minamaru's chin up so he could connect lips with his lover.

It was long, sweet, and heartbreaking. It spoke of Kanaye's jumping nerves and Minamaru's brush with death. It spoke of an unbreakable bond. It screamed of promises and love.

Separating softly from the contact, Kanaye's burning obsidian eyes met Minamaru's amethyst teary ones. The younger man's left hand was pulled, no force, just a gentle touch, into both of his own. Even as the redhead reconnected lips with his lover, something smooth and cool slipped over his ring finger. In the next moment they separated, it was only a touch of the lips apart.

"The shackles were unable to keep you to me… So this better damn well work."

Minamaru looked down to his ring finger, and smiled. He turned eyes back to Kanaye, his smile widening, and smacked his redheaded lover over the head.

"YOU IDIOT! NOT UNTIL I'M HOLDING MY MAN BABIES!!"

* * *

Hahahahah, huh… Yeah, I had to do the last sentence… Not quite sure why. Anywho, I am going to consult ridiculously spaced and dotted name heart on what the ring looks like before I give any details… I feel so proud of myself. I feel like it's been forever since my last update.


	77. Naming the Man Babies

Ridiculously spaced out and dotted name told me that I had to do these chapters before we skipped to the part we've been talking about most. So... The next four chapters, her idea. I just felt too lazy to go into each one and say so.

* * *

For the first time in the week since giving birth, he now had his three man babies by his side.

True, he was still in the hospital bed he had awaken in. True, Kanaye was still by his side, driven to believe the world was out to murder Minamaru by past experience. As of lately, his paranoia was being encouraged by the gang, seeing as how they believed the same. As of yet, his 'mommy' and Kouga were the only two who did not believe Minamaru about to die at any given moment. True, his babies were still so tiny that the length of their forearm and hand was just barely the length of his pointer finger.

However, they were so amazingly beautiful, all Minamaru did was stare. For long moments, it was all he _could_ do. They each laid by his side on the hospital bed, his son with obsidian eyes laid against his fathers chest, his hazy unfocused eyes zipping about as his body wiggled feebly. Kanaye's obsidian eyes had been holding a staring contest with those speeding orbs, his face blank of all emotion… Except what his eyes shown with. They fairly gleamed with awe, distant with thought. In the arms of Minamaru, his only redheaded son stared blankly up at him, still to young to concentrate, but seemingly making the effort to do so. His blue-green eyes made Minamaru coo, swaying the small boy in his arms. He was going to have the chance to raise his raccoon daddy… And he was going to have a _lot _of fun with that. Lying on the bed between the two lounging lovers, the pale raven haired boy that completed the set of triplets was still sleeping… Minamaru gazed worryingly at his eldest child, having never actually seen him awake.

"How long is he supposed to sleep for?"

Kanaye's eyes flickered from his middle child to his eldest, then back again.

"For as long as it takes not to have to be surrounded by other people… When chichi spied on them, he said that he was awake for a rather long time… Up until he realized that he was being watched."

Minamaru pouted as he poked his sleeping baby, the pale child not even responding. Against his chest, his redheaded child turned his head into Minamaru's chest, making a sound reminiscent of a growl in the back of his throat.

"What are we going to name them?"

Minamaru grabbed one of the bottles off of the table by the hospital bed, placing the nipple of it into the redhead's puckering mouth. The tiny baby sucked contentedly at it, drawing the warm formula into himself. Kanaye's obsidian orbs drifted lazily from the child he held to Minamaru, one thin red eyebrow rising slightly. He lifted the child he held, bringing the obsidian eyed baby into focus for them.

"For this child, there's no question what his name shall be."

There were three moments as Minamaru stared blankly thoughtful at his middle child, then sighed. With one gentle hand, he stroked the loose strands of black sprouting from the small boy's head.

"How does Lei sound to you, baby? It will be our little secret that it's spelled differently from your grandma's name."

Kanaye's eyebrow shot up even higher."

"It sounds just like chichi's name."

Minamaru cooed as he met Kanaye's statement with a smug smile.

"Yes, but it's spelled with an 'I' at the end instead of an 'e'. That way he's still his own man baby!"

"I HEARD MAN BABY, THIS TIME I'M DAMN WELL CERTAIN OF IT!!!"

Aya charged into the room, canines clenched together in irritation. She met Minamaru's exasperated eyes with annoyance in her own.

"That's my word!"

"These are my babies, so stop swearing!"

She pouted, then walked more fully into the room, taking the chair by their bed where she cocked her head curiously at the three babies. Her eye twitched as she met the blank stare of the Gaara look-alike.

"That baby has death written all over him. I can tell by his eyes, and he can't even see me yet. He's got predator eyes…"

She leaned back in her seat, her eyes narrowing dangerously as the redhead continued to stare at her without actually seeing her. She growled, waited, then hmphed as the small child returned it in a like wise way, even around the tit he was sucking on.

"He's going to be hell on his mate… And something tells me he's going to need one hell of a boy to counter him."

"He's going to be normal!"

Aya's eyebrow rose enquiringly.

"Who the hell wants to be normal?"

"Arune, had you wanted normal, you should have never approached us in the playground all those years ago."

"We need more straight people!"

"Who the hell is straight?"

Minamaru became teary eyed as he met Aya's demeaning gaze. She snorted as she as smirked, twining her fingers together behind her head.

"Doesn't work on me, rainbows."

Minamaru whimpered as he looked back down into his redheaded baby's glazed over eyes. Seconds passed, the depression leaving him as his eyes became distant. One finger came up and traced eyes so exactly like the child's father, Minamaru felt himself drowning.

"Death…"

It was certainly a possibility… But it wasn't going to happen, not like he had heard it happen with his raccoon daddy. If this baby ever had to kill, it was because he had to protect the ones he loved and those that could not protect themselves. His babies were going to be loved and become beautiful, gentle hearted, heterosexual men. Looking at the redhead, despite the fact, dragged that one word continuously back to him.

"…Death…"

"Yeah, that's what I said… You can stop repeating me when ever you want to."

She wrinkled her nose, and then reached out one hand to the napping child upon the bed, touching his forehead with her pointer finger. His lips puckered in his sleep, his announcement to the world to feed him now. She wrinkled her nose once more, then stood from her seat, walking out of the door.

"And, dudes? That baby needs changed."

It was two minutes after her depart that the reoccurring word finally settled the decision in Minamaru's mind. He lifted his redheaded child higher up his chest, settling the tiny creature's ear over his heart, as he tilted the bottle further back for better access.

"Shitai."

Kanaye looked to him seriously, setting the dozing Lei onto the bed in favor of picking the yet to be named child up into his arms, staring down at the pale raven until the child finally gave a sigh and opened blind amethyst eyes.

"We are truly going to name our redheaded child, who resembles my father exactly and who will possibly have issues as he gets older, death? Will that be taken as a fact or an insult?"

Minamaru shook his head, looking from the redheaded baby's eyes to the ring finger on his left hand. The purple diamond, set deeply into the sterling silver band, sparkled between the two black diamonds, set just as deeply as the larger stone, so as not to catch on anything. Had the beautiful ring been bought from a jewelry store, the rainbow haired boy would have turned the proposal down cold. He had never cared for riches, nor fancy presentations, nor something that could label him as a gold digger. He had had enough of that with… He refused to speak unwell of the dead.

No, the black diamonds had been harvested by his lover himself, and the purple diamond had been discovered during an A-rank mission completed by Kanaye. Minamaru hadn't been able to boil all of the details out of his 'mommy', but what he had learned had made him feel so warm and fuzzy inside, he had kissed the redhead deeply when he had reentered the room nine minutes after leaving the room, the longest he had left Minamaru without his company over the five days before.

"His name is Shitai… As a warning. He's going to use the power Aya sensed in him to protect his family… and his woman."

Kanaye stared blankly at him, then shook his head pityingly, looking down into closing amethyst eyes as he wrinkled his nose. Standing to his feet, he went to the changing table, going about changing the baby's diaper automatically. Some found it unbearable to do the mundane duty, but cleaning blood and gore from his hands was so much more disturbing and difficult than the act of cleaning his child.

"You do realize he will most likely be gay, won't you? Surrounded by so much homosexuality, he will at least have one male lover in his life, even if he does eventually state himself as straight. It may not be proven, but homosexuality as a chance of being heredity… If not possibly more probable in our children because of their close relation to us and so many other gay couples. Children are influenced by their gay parents, Arune."

"Then we'll pretend to be roommates until they know they're straight!"

In a moment, Shitai was gone from his arms, settled beside his yet to be named child and Lei back into the plastic see-through crib that was set out for them, a cloud of black grains floating lazily about them. Minamaru's hands were held tightly above his head by one of Kanaye's, the obsidian eyes burning dangerously down into Minamaru startled amethyst ones.

"You want to pretend that we're not lovers, that we did not concieve those three children, so they have a better chance of growing to be heterosexual?"

It took another moment, then Minamaru began purring as Kanaye continued to press him down into the sheets with his heavier mass, his gaping mouth curling up into a seductive smile.

"Now that you say it out loud… It sounds a lot more difficult to stay committed to than just telling them that they have two daddies…"

He arched his body up, flinching slightly as it pulled at the stitching lining his belly. The fire that lit up Kanaye's onyx eyes made up for it, though. It made up for it extremely quick. He swooped down, about to touch his lips to Minamaru's-

"Tadashi."

He paused with his lips just barely touching Minamaru's, one eyebrow twitching.

"The name for our eldest?"

"Yep!"

"Why?"

"Because I like how it rolls off of my tongue… Don't you like it?"

He opened his mouth wide, allowed Kanaye to feel it as he allowed the name to roll slowly off f his tongue, purposefully slipping it over Kanaye's chin.

"Ta-da-shi-"

Kanaye's lips crashed against his, his teeth grabbing onto the pink muscle and holding it prisoner as he allowed his own tongue to torture the appendage.

"I will tell the healing nin later that we've named them…"

He forced his hands up the hospital gown that was Minamaru's only protection from nudity, shuddering as his rough fingertips touched skin as soft and smooth as that of a peach, only different by the random faded scar. The rainbow haired boy allowed this to happen for one moment, feeling himself shiver as he closed his eyes to better savor the contact into his touch starved body. With all of the strength in his body, which was considerable, he shoved his redheaded lover up and off of him, Kanaye falling off of the hospital bed onto the hard floor with a hissed curse. Leaning over the bed side, Minamaru cackled with a smirk on his face, looking at his hot and bothered fiancé.

"Don't think you can pull a raccoon daddy on me and get away with it like mommy does. I will go Gai-Sensei on you!"

Then his eyes narrowed dangerously, his fingers becoming claw like as they dug into the side of the mattress.

"And stop cursing. They're just babies!"


	78. The Kage after the Next

He had been staring inquisitively at the small child that remained actively… sadistic… with his watching gaze. Looking down at the small redheaded being, a scalpel in the child's one hand, a hideous green, skewered teddy bear in the other, Gaara came to a conclusion.

This child was mad. And not in the sense of anger.

The triplets had officially turned five months as of two days ago, each of them showing increasingly startling levels of activity for such young of age… Minus Tadashi, who continued to fall into the defense mechanism of sleep whenever he felt others watching him. Lei was being restrained in a separate crib some feet from Gaara's left, wrapped firmly in a dark green blanket that had no luck in the least of remaining attached to the lively baby. Already, Gaara could hear the child attempting to crawl through the bars of his crib to reach freedom as he had had earlier that day with Gaara's husband. Giving the boy a cursory glance, he did a quick double take, then looked away, uninterested.

It wasn't the first time Lei had tried to squeeze his head through the closely spaced wooden bars containing him.

He met the eyes of his redheaded grandson, blue-green attempting to stare down blue-green eyes. When the child stabbed the scalpel he had somehow obtained into the already torn open womb of the stuffed animal (no longer able to be considered such because the stuffing was everywhere but in the toy), holding his eyes as he committed the crime, the kage was uncertain if he should feel threatened by the offspring of his son, or proud that his grandson was very well aware of how to demolish objects of displeasure.

"Shitai."

With the stated name, the redheaded child dropped the teddy, even as he kept his weapon in hand. From a sudden appearing wave of sand, Gaara's hand dove into the golden grains, and then reappeared with an object in hand.

Shitai's eyes widened with want, his tiny thick hands reaching up, the scalpel falling to the bed forgotten. Gaara kept his eyes for a moment, then lowered the object into the short pair of arms reaching for it. With no patience, Shitai took the gift in hand, opened his mouth wide, and then began sucking on one brown ear of the large teddy bear, this one faded with age, but well kept. It's circular black eyes stared dully ahead of itself, it's nose lost and the stitching holding it's left arm to its body loosening. It was a fragile memory, the only one Gaara had been able to keep with him through his child that had not angered or betrayed him. Watching his grandson take enjoyment from the pitiful toy made something… Content… Within him.

Upon occasion, he had allowed Lee, his husband, lover, partner, and companion, lay hands upon the bear. It had taken years to drift to that level of comfort, however, before he had removed Shushu, the name of the teddy bear, from the sand that had hidden it like the secret of weakness he had believed it, and settled it into the happily crying arms of his lover. Lee had always attempted to show him, tell him, and teach him that Shushu was not a weakness, but a childhood friend that he had brought to life with his imagination. The more and more Lee had gone out of his way to prove to him that it was not a weakness, the closer Gaara had come to needed the raven more than the bear.

He watched as his grandson took on to the only object that had ever known his compassion as a child. For moments, he could not think of anything more that needed done. Blue-green eyes swiveled back up to him, then reached out the abused green bear with the scalpel to him, a peaceful exchange that was unfair, but acceptable. Gaara had not expected to take Shushu back anyway. Instead of picking up the obviously hated gift from Gai or the weapon, he lifted the redhead into his arm, bear and all, and began walking out of the room.

Outside the room, Lee was walking towards them, a large grin spreading across his face as he saw his lover with their grandson. He opened his mouth, about to say something about the beautiful youth of the moment, when he stopped. Everything in him just… Stopped. His eyes were locked on the object within the arms of his redheaded grandson, then drifted slowly, disbelievingly, up into the eyes of his husband. Gaara met the shocked gaze with that of absolute calmness.

It was rare when Lee lost all words in his vocabulary to something that needed so many words to be spoken. Sometimes, however, there was no word to describe how unbearably precious the moment was. There were only actions.

He leaned forward so he was level with Shitai's stare, smiling in the motherly manner he had developed over the years when blue-green eyes stared back at him. He reached out, drifting fingers through the small red locks, before he kissed his forehead, whispering nonsense words under his breath that made the small being giggle in the adorable way of all babies. Then he reached for the teddy, pulling slowly, gently upon it, as Shitai's eyes hardened dangerously. He kissed the teddy's forehead as well, his smile and a new load of tears forming as Shitai relaxed.

He pulled away, his obsidian orbs drifting up to Gaara, when he was pulled right back down by a surprisingly strong grip of the baby before him. Shitai pushed the teddy into Lee's face, a command in his eyes for Lee to show the bear more respect. He blinked, then laughed softly, kissing the space where the black button nose should have been. Shitai stared for another moment, then cuddled into the teddy, pushing his head into his grandfather's chest with a sigh.

When he stood at full length again, he was pulled once more… This time by the larger redhead. Their lips touched, Lee's eyes closing instinctively so he could forever stain this moment into his memory, even as Gaara kept his at half lidded so he could brand the image into his brain. All people remember differently. Sometimes, a touch remained so much longer than a sight, other times vice versa.

He pulled away a second later, walking around his lover down the hall, his kage robes fluttering slightly. His expression was entirely blank, though that was definitely a snicker floating up from his grandson, Shitai having a look of a predator who had found a weakness. As he moved down the hall to meet the grass diplomats awaiting him in the meeting room of the main building conference room. Lee frowned as sand began to swirl around the two redheads, confused as to why his most special person was taking their grandson with him to what was going to be a tenuous long meeting.

"Lei's head is stuck between the bars again."

"WHAT!?"

The reason for Shitai's presence in a meeting meant strictly for only a few important powers was entirely forgotten as Lee dashed into the room.

Sand hit the ground as the kazekage arrived two minutes late for a diplomatic meeting between his country and that of one that they most surely did not trust. Three pairs of eyes turned to him, not one word uttered about the late timing, and became tense and confused when they saw who accompanied the redheaded man.

Taking his seat as the head of the long table, Gaara sat Shitai down on his lap, resting one hand on the small child's head as he met each of their stares, his unfeeling jade eyes forcing their gazes from him in discomfort.

"… I will be retiring upon my son's 30th birthday… After he steps down from the title of kazekage, this shall be the man you will have to complain to."

To demonstrate why that was a threat, Gaara's sand rose in a crest and dropped the horribly green teddy and scalpel before the studious child, drawing his blue-green eyes away from one of the scowling diplomats.

Everyone in that room, minus the two redheads, left the room pale and trembling, touching napkins and handkerchiefs to their faces to wipe away the cold sweat that had gathered. Whatever the matter had been that had conjoined the meeting, was won by Suna.


	79. What a Good Daddy

The small form that resembled his chichi in every way was screaming wildly at the top of his lungs, his mouth as wide as possible in the wrenching, ear splitting noise. His face was red from the force of the sound, wet as well from the tears he had shed.

Looking down at him, Kanaye continued to scowl, hands at his side as he studied the situation from every angle. Lei didn't need a diaper change, nor was he hungry. He wasn't cold, or hot, he was perfect temperature.

Once more, he sighed, staring down at his seven month old son. Could it be possible that Lei was unable to understand the separation from his two siblings? Perhaps he felt he had been abandoned, seeing as how the two children had been abducted by Minamaru and the whisked away to who the hell knew where while Lei had been with his father and chichi. Lei had been returned nine minutes ago, but his two other children remained not present.

His scowl grew as the tiny being somehow managed to scream louder than before. Refusing to have to shout over his child, he spoke calmly to it.

"I will not tickle you. The motherly affection you are screaming for can not be received by me, and you will never have the opportunity for such. I am your father, hence my obligation is to protect all three of you with my life and provide for each of you as well as murder any person who takes interest in you or your siblings."

If his child was capable of hearing him over his own screams, he didn't let on, wildly flailing his arms now just to make positively certain his father knew how upset he was. Gritting his teeth, Kanaye consented into picking up the squealing child. Against his chest, the screams dropped a notch, but did not stop. His mind working miles per second, his eyes flashed with a streak of intuition.

He lifted the child up, took a deep subtle breath, and blew across his son's face. One of two things could occur, he concurred, as he continued to study his son's startled expression: Lei could begin screaming louder, or become silent. Apparently, his son strived to be like his 'grandmother' in every way possible, because the small being went with neither option. In turn, he squealed with joy, squirming excitedly. Kanaye's right eyebrow twitched, then he repeated the action. The reaction was even more happy then the last. After completing the action three more times, Lei was hardly able to contain himself, his face red for other reason and his squealing even louder than what his screams had been. Despite the loud volume, Kanaye found that it didn't matter. The absolute bliss his middle son felt was ebbing into him, and he could not stop himself from smiling.

"Awww… Kodak moment!"

Kanaye's smile became nonexistent as he met Minamaru's goo-goo amethyst eyes. With not a word said, he put Lei back into his crib, walked around Minamaru and went calmly towards the door. He only finally spoke once he had a foot through the door jam, his voice a few octaves short of haughty.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Minamaru cooed, cackling evilly in the back of his throat as he put his other two children into the crib as well. He knew Kanaye was going to make the greatest man baby daddy.


	80. What Happened Around the Wedding

Tadashi, at two years old, had grown bored with the ceremony taking place. He didn't care that his mommy and daddy were finally getting married, just like his godfather (Jun) and Samaie had a month before. He didn't care that his grandfather was the one walking his mommy down the aisle, nor that his grandma should have been watching them to make sure none of them wondered off. Honestly, it was his grandma's fault for getting so caught up in the moment of 'I do', that had led to this moment.

All he had been trying to do was to find a place to go to sleep among the hundreds of numbers of men and women dressed up in fancy kimonos for the traditionally sacred ceremony of marriage. Was that such a bad thing? He had wanted to go to sleep, but no! This happened…

There had been a kid, possibly a year or so older than him, far away from the alter where his mommy and daddy stood, their hands bound together with wrappings that had been his grandma's, but had relinquished them in favor of having at least a part of himself in the ceremony. Of course, his parents had been quick to point out that there would be no ceremony if not for him. If we got technical here, that is basically true. If there's no Lee, then there's no GaaLee, then there's no baby born out of a male conceiving pregnancy that would eventually befriend then grow to obsess about a very strange boy that is known as Minamaru.

Not that those thoughts meant anything to Tadashi, the eldest of the triplets born out of his 'mommy's' own surgery to conceive children. His amethyst eyes were cold upon the lilac eyed boy that was staring up at him with adoration, his thin pale arms wrapped firmly around his legs so he was dragged along with the Sabaku. Not that the brat was his only problem.

Across the distance of 12 feet, he had connected gazes with sapphire blue eyes that seemed to burn right through him. The boy had blue-black hair that was fashioned into spikes on his head, comparable to the long bangs Tadashi was growing over his eyes with the shortly cut spikes from there back. It was a cut similar to Sasuke's, even as the sapphire blue eyed boy had hair much like that of the hokage, even if his skin was much paler.

When Tadashi was the object in a game of tug-of-war between the long haired brunette and the bluenette, he said the worst bad word he could come up with.

"Darn it!"

"I'm telling Mommy!"

The tug-of-war paused for a moment to watch Lei, younger than Tadashi by two minutes, begin running away while wearing a dragging forest green kimono. The outcome was him tripping after only three strides, landing on his face in the grass and sand surrounding them, the wedding having taken place between the two great allied countries.

As if nothing had happened, he stood to his feet once more and began running. For a few more moments, the trio watched the spectacle of Lei tripping over himself every three to five steps continuously, before the war began anew.

"He's mine!"

The brunette tugged hard, his arms a firm band around Tadashi's waist.

"Let go!"

The bluenette snarled as he pulled even more viciously, succeeding in dragging both Tadashi and the lilac eyed boy a foot before he stumbled to a stop. There was a moment of surprise from the lilac eyed boy, then he pulled again, using even more force than before so he was the one that dragged them a foot. This occurred repetitively for three whole minutes, some stopping to watch the spectacle with either awe, concern, humor, or all three. Cheering them on from the sidelines, Aya's voice could be heard hooting.

"Keiji!"

There was horror on the paling face of the brunette that darted out from the crowd to grab the lilac eyed boy and pulled him away, her chocolate brown eyes terrified as she stared down at the long haired boy she was restraining. She met eyes with Tadashi.

"I'm so so so sorry…"

Tadashi blinked in confusion when the woman shot to her feet and hurried off, hushing Keiji as the boy began to complain loudly.

"Kosuke, you mini-teme-bastard."

The hokage himself walked right up to him to pull the other boy off of him, exasperated anger on his suntanned skin and his sapphire eyes narrowed in irritation. In a moment, he was entirely forgotten by the other boy, who favored turning into the blonde and being lifted up and away. For a second, Tadashi thought himself safe, then Kosuke's head came around the hideously orange kimono that was wrapped around the hokage's body, his sapphire eyes narrowing on Tadashi like any child's eyes would when they were being forced to walk away from a toy they wanted, but still most definitely planned on getting.

Tadashi grimaced as he began walking away once more. He knew of one safe place that he could turn to that would let him get the sleep he wanted.

Finding his godfather's father, he pulled himself onto the Nara-Akamichi's lap, and fell asleep quickly, joining Shikamaru in don't-want-to-be-here-land.

* * *

Shitai didn't have to act as if he was powerful, because he was powerful. No question about it. He had the Sabaku glare that leveled out diplomats from three different countries. At two years old, he knew what he wanted, and was not ashamed of it.

He also knew this, if Makato didn't take his dirty hands off of his aunt, he was going to go murder the silver-tongued, blue-eyed devil. He had been giving the Sabaku glare to the back of the white haired boy's head, attempting his hardest to bring out terror in the bastard. However, this had been failing very badly.

That was when the strange happened.

"Hey guys! What's goin'?"

A boy with jet black hair walked up to the two, his skin ashen pale. It made the red upside down triangle on each of his cheeks stand out as if they were bleeding, enhancing the yellow-green of his eyes so they appeared to glow. As he smiled, a canine peeked out over his bottom lip. He wore a plainly brown kimono, just barely respectful for the ceremony.

Over the few or so yards that separated them, the boy connected eyes with Shitai and smiled in greeting before turning back to the silver tongued bastard and his aunt.

"Auntie! Auntie!"

Koi looked to him curiously, turned back to her friends to say a few words, and then hurried over to the redhead. She smiled warmly when Shitai grabbed her hand and pulled her close enough that his mouth was by her ear.

"Who is that guy?"

She looked to him to see in which direction he was staring, then attempted to turn around to see who it was. Her attempt was stopped when Shitai pulled her right back around before she even tilted her head.

"The one with the shapes on his face."

Recognition came over her face as her mouth formed a small 'o'.

"That's Kouga! Remember Aya? The woman with the really really big dog? That her baby brother!"

Shitai blinked then his eyes narrowed upon the boy. Both boys were looking on curiously, and when Shitai's eyes became dangerously focused on Kouga, the Inuzuka blinked in confusion. Beside him, however, Makato seemed to cackle, elbowing Kouga as he said something.

In the next second, Makato was gone, a haze of sand floating where he had stood, while a cocoon of the golden grains stood so or so many yards away from Kouga.

Koi watched on with horror and concern, then looked back at Shitai when the redhead growled.

"Shitia, that wasn't very nice…"

"I don't care."

"But I do!"

When his aunt became teary eyed, rubbing futilely at blue-green and obsidian orbs, he felt some measure of guilt… For upsetting his aunt, not for the Makato part.

"But I was just protecting what's mine!"

Koi stopped whimpering, blinked, and then stared blankly at her nephew who pouted at her. When she understood the meaning behind the words, her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. By the time Kouga and Makato were by their side, however, Makato glaring at Shitai while Kouga stared at him in a beffuddled way, Koi had smoothed out. She smiled at him, then turned to Kouga as her free hand went to Makato's and held the pale flesh in her own.

"Kouga, this is my nephew, Shitai! And, one day, he's going to be kazekage!"

Shitai smirked at the introduction, certain that that would get him wonderful perception.

Kouga blinked, looking at Shitai with his head cocked in confusion once more, and became altogether lost on the subject.

"So?"

Shitai's head dropped to his chest in absolute depression. Koi patted his back pitifully, her eyes sad, and Makato almost doubled over in laughter. In the midst of it, Kouga remained oblivious.

For a wedding of their parents, not one of the triplets were having that much a good time.

Three yards away from the group of children, Lei tripped once more over his feet, then sobbed in a breath, staring blindly at the ground.

"I'm never going to find Mommy like this…"


	81. Mommy's Dead!

The rainbow haired boy cackled as he crawled on all fours around another bend in the halls, a dangerous smirk on his face as he focused on his target. With the stealth and speed of a trained shinobi, he came as close as three inches to his prey, the other's back facing the approaching danger, before he stopped. It took three long moments, then the raven haired boy began to turn around, obsidian eyes curious as to why the back of his neck prickled so intensely. What he saw when he turned fully around was so terrifying, he choked on his own spit, circular eyes widening impossibly as one hand gripped the green shirt he wore right over his heart.

He sobbed first, looking down at the prone figure, the rainbow haired boy having allowed himself to collapse with his eyes closed, his mouth gaping open, and not a breath moving through his lungs. With the speed that came with being who he was, the raven ran like the wind, tears flowing from his eyes. It took him three minutes, but he finally came across the office he had been seeking out. The door was slammed open as he ran towards the redhead that turned towards him expectantly, leaping into the other's arms.

He was completely unaware of the still figure of the rainbow haired boy awaiting him at the door, one pale hand held over his mouth so the raven wouldn't hear him.

"Mommy's dead!"

Kanaye sighed deeply as Lei began sobbing into his chest, the boy's tiny hands clamped into Kanaye's mesh shirt. At the entrance, Minamaru was no longer able to contain his laughter, falling back as he let loose his humor. Lei jumped in surprise, looking to his mommy with disbelief in his eyes.

After a moment of listening to his mommy laugh, he met his daddy's exasperated expression.

"He's alive, daddy!"

Minamaru allowed himself to stop moving, even though he was gasping in air.

"I'm dead."

Lei's eyes welled up with tears once more.

"MOMMY'S DEAD!!! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT MOMMY!!!! DADDY!!!"

As he wailed, A tendril of black grains snaked around from behind Kanaye, snagging Minamaru in the side so he yelped loud enough that he could be overheard by Lei.

The small boy snapped right around, a smile growing impossibly wide on his face.

"He's alive!"

Kanaye's eyes were cold on Minamaru as one arm was wrapped around his middle son's body.

"He is going to live for many years to come, I assure you, Lei."

His obsidian eyes fell to the silver wedding ring on Minamaru's finger.

"He will have to get through me before he goes anywhere but here."

Minamaru blinked, then cooed in awe.

"Love you too, Kan-koi!"

Kanaye sat straight up, a shock working down his spine at the name. He stood to his feet, putting Lei to the ground and pushing the boy out of the room.

"Lei, go play with your aunt. I have to… 'converse'… with your… 'mommy'…"

Lei frowned.

"What's 'converse' mean?"

"I have to have a long, loud talk with him."

His curiosity fulfilled, he hugged his mommy on the way out, then skipped happily down the hall. On the way, he ran across his grandma.

Lee smiled joyfully down at him.

"Hello, Lei! How are we on this youthful day?"

When Lee gave the good guy pose, Lei returned it with an 100 watt smile.

"Daddy's talking long and loudly with mommy!"

Lee opened his mouth, about to say something supportive, when it occurred to him that the moan down the hall meant anything but talking. He picked Lei up and began striding quickly away.

"Let us go keep grandpa company, neh?"

"Okay!… But daddy told me to keep Auntie company…"

"We can do that as well!"

After all, he knew better that it would be best to leave the two alone. Poor things… Just like Lee and Gaara, they had foregone their honeymoon. After all, it was best that way in the world of shinobi.


	82. WHAT?

Ridiculously spaced out and dotted name Heart and I discussed this scenario a long time ago... However, I was about to continue on to typing about the triplets in the chuunin exams (and, yes, I am going to skip that much time. I feel myself losing concentration in this story, and I'm already almost positive I'm going to go over 100 chapters. Who of you would read that much?... I might have, but I don't know you guys.), and this popped back into my mind. It was so precious, I could not say no. By the way, sorry for skipping the wedding like that. I mentioned it in passing, but I just couldn't do it. I felt like there was so much repetition, I was annoying myself and about to give up. ... Also sorry for skipping the honeymoon. I'm pretty sure you were all looking forward to that. I will try to make up for it later... Maybe I'll have a chapter designated to the smut of the gay couples in this story... Maybe. Just throw some ideas at me and I'll see what I can make these babies do.

* * *

Makato returned Kouga's glare with a raised eyebrow, the Icha Icha novel still held securely over his lower face. Some years before, a strange obsession had came over him. It could have surfaced from watching his dad take his father's mask off so slowly, with so much lust and love in his eyes, that made this fetish come out from within him. As of three years ago, there was one being alive allowed to pull off the dark gray material that hid his face from below his eyes to his shoulders, and that was Koi. His long waving white hair had been secured in a ponytail, reaching just pass his shoulders.

There were girls in the room fawning over him, eyes filled with adoration. They had no chance of making him care. Just because he read porn didn't mean that he went about flirting with every girl that happened to cross into his path.

Kouga had matured likewise, if not in an entirely different way. He was humble, aware of when he was and was not wanted. He was strong and loyal, suddenly there when needed and quick to guard. He was quick to laugh his ass off and piss Makato off.

He wore a leather coat with fur along the collar of it, a purple leg warmer on one leg and a red one on the other. Peeking out from underneath the coat was his mesh, just barely visible from underneath his dark blue shirt. He wore signature black ninja pants and a canine grin that made his already Aubrame pale skin appear deathly. His opaque eyes were full of death threats, and the symbol on each of his cheeks still seemed to bleed.

"How did you end up here so young?"

His smirk quickly turned into a scowl, a growl leaving the Inuzuka's throat. It seemed like an innocent enough question, but he knew it wasn't. It was another subtle dig at his intelligence.

"Same way you did, dip ass. I was smart enough to start early."

A disbelieving quirk of Makato's eyebrow was his reply, then Kouga was entirely ignored in favor of what was in the pages of the novel before him. Kouga snarled, opened his mouth,- and was suddenly standing to his feet, his eyes staring with horror as he was unable to control his movements.

As Shikamaru walked, Kouga walked as well. The Nara-Akamichi's eyes stared at him with irritation, tapping a book to his shoulder as he went along to stand in front of the table that was stacked with Signature Konoha Head Protectors. Consequently, Kouga stopped in the middle of the stairway, even as he continued to fight the bonds holding him.

"How troublesome… Alright, you already know what's happening and how it's going to happen. Just listen for your name and what Sensei I call it out with and the names that will accompany yours. A will call a jounin's name, and the three names that follow that will be a team. If you don't like who you're with, take it up with someone else."

He began calling names, unpunctually releasing Kouga from the shadow hold part way down the list. Kouga cursed under his breath as he sat down, throwing a curse over his shoulder at the smug Hatake while he was at it.

Shikamaru stopped suddenly somewhere towards the end of the list, a scowl darkening his face as he read the words before him. Finally, he sighed, stating 'How troublesome', and spoke off Team nine of Konoha.

"Nara-Akamichi, Chouji… Retai, Hana; Hatake, Makato-"

A girl with raven black hair and sparkling hazel eyes squealed with joy, pumping her fists in the air. Makato sighed as he flipped another page.

"Inuzuka, Kouga."

"WHAT!?!?"

Makato and Kouga both had their fists flat on the table before them, eyes wide and disbelieving upon Shikamaru, before looking to each other with horror in their eyes.

At nine years old, both were certain the world was crashing down around them, and all they could do was watch.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru had developed at least 132 different plans and plots in which to persuade his husband into taking only five hours of sleep a night so he would have enough time to train his team and still have role play night. Only three of those ideas were not discarded, and not one of them were 100 percent fool proof.

It was a bad day all around… Unless you were Hana.


	83. This Organ Called the Heart

_Tadashi never thought to do anything other than stand his ground. His arms were held away from his body, guarding the entrance way. His attempts to protect the two oblivious lovers was met with the fury of the one before him. Golden eyes flickered at him with burning hatred, skin pale like ash and the need to kill evident. Regardless, Tadashi did not fight._

_He did not fight as the others fingers ripped at his skin, splashing blood as if his nails were claws. He did nothing but grit his teeth together when the being before him snarled, abandoning the use of his nails in favor of biting into his flesh, the others hands gripping and pushing and shoving at him. He remained motionless. _

_He took the others fury because he loved him too much to let him do what he could never be forgiven for. This was the green monster, not the one that was his loving grandmother, nor the one that was his grandmother's sensei. This was jealousy, rage, and pain. This was betrayal. _

_Finally, it happened; animalistic snarls broke into heart wrenching sobs. Curses and insults turned into panting. _

_For the first time in 13 minutes, Shitai fell against him, smearing the blood he had shed all over his own skin as he gripped his eldest brother to him. As he did so, color returned to his skin, his eyes blinking away tears that erased the golden shade to a blue-green color. _

_There was at least three sets of doors and several halls separating them from the visiting Inuzuka, Kouga, who had brought his girlfriend of two months with him. For the past hour, they had had sex, and Shitai had been attempting his hardest to stop it. Only Tadashi had stood between the furious redhead and his target of blonde hair, large breasts, and a fake smile. _

_His violet eyes stared down at the crown of his brother's hair, stroking one hand that continued to bleed through it. Kouga was confused, he had the wisdom to realize. He was looking for love in all the wrong ways for all the wrong reasons. He was merely being an average 16 year old boy… Experiencing the body's needs and exploring passion. It was a leisure that not every being designated to be a shinobi could partake in. As shinobi, one grew from boy to man in a space of months. Kouga was being rebellious, and that rebellion had nearly cost him the life of his lover, if not his own life as well. _

_And Shitai was being an average 11 year old boy, who had believed that his crush would remain pure. He had never heard anything that could suggest otherwise. Their mother had been a virgin when he had coupled with their father. Their father had been a virgin when he had coupled with their mother. The same could be said for their grandparents. They had never heard of a scenario where a shinobi had messily slept about, even if they had been aware of it occurring. Yet this… _

_A Sabaku was born with or without the love of others. Betrayal was their conclusion when mistreated in the heartfelt intimacy, and that betrayal equaled heartfelt rage and hatred. What Shitai had devised to preserve for Kouga, so certain was he that his search for his mate (Such as their mother and father had been, such as their grandmother and grandfather had been, etc…) was over, his body, had now, in the eyes of the youngest triplet, became pointless and a pathetic failure. _

_No Sabaku was good with words of the heart. Not their great aunt, not their grandfather or their father. Even their aunt, Koi, had troubles explaining was it was that the heart spoke of, only certain that it spoke and it spoke of beautiful things. Their way was by action and act. _

_Kouga had, without realizing it, just told Shitai that it would never happen, and he had been foolish for believing it would. Tadashi knew, without even having to question the Inuzuka boy, that the offense had not been meant, had not even been ignored, but just unnoted. After all, Kouga had always been clueless, for the nine years Shitai had been certain, of the redhead's affection. Why would he notice the passionate advances of someone five years younger than himself? Especially with how dominant the advances had been; Shitai tackling him to the ground to smirk down at him, Shitai caressing his face whenever it was within reach. _

_He could do nothing more but fall to the ground with the shattered redhead, incapable of feeling the rage and temporary hatred the younger did. He was thinking rationally, certain of his knowledge on the situation. Shitai was thinking with a mind that their father and grandfather would have thought with: Their love was not being faithful, hence, their love felt no love for them. _

_His body throbbed painfully, from dozens of wounds opened across his body. Just as he did not blame Kouga for causing his brother's breaking heart, he did not blame his brother for hurting him. The heart was, in all reality, irrational; hence, the betrayed organ would behave irrationally and the mind would stand with it. He swore he could hear the others soul screaming, even though the redhead in his arm no longer made a sound, nor shed another tear. _

_He watched as Shitai stood to his feet, allowing the redhead to assist him up and support him as they took the first steps that would lead them to their aunt's room for a quick healing before she would have to go off to teach her 3 o'clock class on how to do basic healing as well as spot what was poisonous and what was not. _

* * *

"Big brother, are you alright?"

Tadashi's eyes lost their dazed mist as he came back to the present, his finger ceasing in tracing one of the faint scars on his arms from beneath the gray-blue material he wore. He answered Lei's question by blinking, not in the mood for words.

He wore a high collared, long-sleeved coat of blue-gray, the neck of it covering his lower face so as to better hide the scars that peeked over his jaw. His dark blue pants drooped down to his ankles, wearing black boots to go with it. He was entirely hidden from sight, leaving nearly everything of his profile to the imagination. Only those that had paid attention to him his last visit, which had been nearly seven months before, could tell others what he had looked like before the 'incident'.

Five months ago, The Inuzuka family had visited them in their desert home. Five months ago, his brother had lost the control that separated every human being from a territorial beast of violence and gore. Five months ago, Shitai had came into his room, gotten down on his knees, and handed him a blade. He had known the action for what it was meant. Shitai had never meant to harm him, had never wished to make him bleed. He may have been the youngest, the most fiery hearted and hurtful, but he was not a monster, not the one they had made him out to be after the 'incident'. Had Tadashi not understood the offering, he would have turned it down. As he had thought to himself before, he felt no ill will for his brother. But he had picked up the blade anyway, walking to his brother's back, and had slashed the pale flesh 57 times. They were now even. For the 57 scars that Tadashi would carry with him always, unable to be entirely lifted away by his aunt, Shitai now carried the same number. His youngest brother no longer had to feel guilty.

They now walked down the streets of Konoha once more, this time for an entirely different reason. The Chuunin Exams, the greatest lust and terror of all young students of ninja, had arrived once more in the country of fire.

Lei wore a spandex shirt, much like his 'grandmother' wore, with bandages that wound down to his wrists, and were then covered by the thin leather forest green gloves he wore. Around his hips, the same shade of green flapped loosely about his legs in a pair of shorts. Peeking out from under that was the legs of the spandex suit he wore, disappearing into signature orange legwarmers. Uneven locks of raven black swayed about his face in the gentle spring breeze, not quite long enough to touch his jaw or his back, but longer than what their 'grandmother's' Sensei's bowl cut was. His large obsidian eyes stared at him with concern, one gloved hand reaching out to him as those orbs flickered from his amethyst ones to where his fingers caressed his own skin.

"Are you sure you're okay, big brother?"

"Of course he's not…"

Shitai's mocking voice came from his other side.

"He's dying a little on the inside every time you look at him… Oh noes."

With the repent that now scarred his back, Shitai was as he had been before. He now felt he was even with Tadashi, and felt no more reason to feel guilt. He was as crude and sarcastic as always, and Tadashi could not help but feel relieved within himself. This was his family, his brothers.

Shitai wore a tight black muscle shirt over top of a mesh shirt, red ninja pants tipping over black shinobi sandals. His hair was long, reaching the middle of his back easily. As with their mother, it was tie-died multiple colors, mimicking their mother completely. He wore dark mascara and eye shadow, a pointed tongue sticking out of his mouth in a demonic smirk that made three girls on the sidelines blush bright red. His blue-green eyes were teasing as they watched Lei's frown turn into a full blown trembling pout, large obsidian eyes becoming teary and wet as he kept Tadashi's eyes.

"That's not true, is it!?"

He blinked twice. Lei sighed a breath of relief, hugging Tadashi to his chest simultaneously. Tadashi was careful to not hit his face off of the overly large fan attached to Lei's back as the middle child went about showing his affection.

Lei had discovered a gift within themselves that had sent their great aunt on a streak of smug, so pointedly targeting their grandfather with her snickers as she would take the middle child out and train with him. Just as Lei was a wind child, Shitai had practiced with their father and grandfather, a gourd of white grains even now strapped securely to his back. Tadashi did not care, nor bother to wonder, why his grandfather's sand mimicked the color of the desert, yet his son's copied death and his grandson that of life. Clearly, someone higher up had became bored and decided to screw with reality.

He himself, was the constant reminder of the man everyone knew was dead, but still feared. His power rested in fire, the flames flickering ever so powerfully in the smallest dot deepest set into his amethyst eyes. That fire made him peculiarly special to his grandmother who loved to always tell him how his love and determination was the fuel for his greatest weapon, who constantly reminded him to use it when it was needed most greatly.

"Tadashi!"

He paused, looking to the person who had called his name, then continued forward. He knew they would catch up soon enough. Then there was Kosuke on his left, Keiji smiling at him from his right. Over the years, they had came to a conclusion: They were both from separate, very respected, clans of great power; Kosuke as an Uchiha, Keiji as a Hyuuga, thus, they would be the death of each other with how they were going about the situation. Without consulting Tadashi once, they came to the agreement that Tadashi was theirs, instead of just belonging to one of them. Keiji was his mother in soul, so his pride was not what made him pause. Kosuke, however, was a twisted version of his father, hence, his jealousy. He had only agreed on conditions that they all three only had each other. Again, without being consulted, it had been decided, and Tadashi was now the unwilling partner of the two. He didn't fight it, though. That would be pointless. Instead, he allowed Keiji to rest his head on his shoulder and wrap his arms around his waist; allowed Kosuke to wrap his arms around both his neck and Keiji's shoulders to pull them both to him.

Keiji was only months older than the triplets, but Kosuke was at least 2 in a half or so older. This meant that he was already chuunin, waiting to graduate to jounin within the next year or so. He held about him the air of someone who knew he was powerful, as well as the promise than he would become more so. His father's intelligence burned in his sapphire eyes, even as his welcoming light was hidden so deeply within himself behind a curtain of cold stares. His hair was still fashioned in to gravity defying spikes, the blue-black of it captivating from his taut pale skin. He wore black shorts that just passed his knees with white bandage wrapped around each cap, handles of kunais peeking out of the white. His top was just as black, the collar of it high enough that it brushed his chin. His sandals, as well, were black, just as his nails.

Keiji, however, was the exact opposite image of Kosuke. His long chocolate brown tresses were eventually captured in a leather thong (long piece of leather) beneath his shoulder blades. He wore a Chinese style white sweater, the cuffs of it stopping at his wrists. His ninja styled pants were a pale brown, the ends of it captured beneath white wrappings that circled down to his ankles. He wore dark blue ninja sandals to finish off the attire, a pleasantly happy smile on his wood shaving pale skin. His lilac eyes stared at Tadashi with adoration, his one hand stroking the boy's hip through the coat he wore.

Shitai snorted, rolling his eyes away.

"Did someone lose their balls? I repeat, did someone lose their balls?"

Lei stared at Shitai with confusion, even as Keiji stared at the back of Shitai's head with horror and Kosuke snarled at him.

"What kind of balls? I saw a big bouncy one a while ago… Who do you think lost it?"

"There are four balls lost, most likely very small to begin with. I don't think they're on the ground anywhere, they may be hiding… Or nonexistent."

Tadashi sighed as he grabbed the charging Kosuke and pulled him back to him. If there was anything Kosuke had inherited from his 'mother', it was his quick-to-reach-rage. Keiji, however, was mumbling every bad word he could think of that described Shitai under his breath. He didn't bother to stop the Hyuuga.

* * *

"Here you are, Gai-Sensei!"

Lee sat down the cup of green tea before the aged jounin with flourish, smiling widely. Gai, with even more flourish, thanked Lee for the drink, began a half hour speech on the power of youth and fatherhood, and then shared a long winded discussion with his student.

It was two hours into the conversation that he changed subjects suddenly.

"Choose your own path of the ninja, Lee…"

Lee, who had been about to say something with the relish of a spandex wearing man, froze, his smile slipping away into a frown. His eyes watered with pain, staring down at his fisted hands that rested on his knees.

This was the conversation he had known was coming, but had always dreaded with a deep sense of terror, ever since he had first seen his sensei sigh as he sat down, easing himself down into the cushion awaiting him. It was simple: his sensei was doing as all men and women did, he was aging.

Now in his 70's, his sensei refused to retire. Lee knew why, and he knew he would never know that kind of peace, not as long as a greater peace awaiting him in Gaara's sands: The peace of dying in battle, of dying as a shinobi and not an aged old man, too sickly and bent to die any other way.

Unable to meet his sensei's eyes, he began sobbing, the sounds ripped from his lungs and into the open. Tears dripped from his eyes onto his bandaged hands, leaving stains behind as their path.

"G-Gai-Sen… S-Sensei…"

He wanted to say something to deny the obvious, to deny that the first man to ever accept him, that had raised him as his own, was going to leave him. It was so painful, so hurtful…

"Why?"

His sensei sighed, as he had had a tendency for doing lately. He shifted slightly, wincing at the movement. Taijutsu as skilled as this always came with a cost, no matter the care that was taken. There was no amount of meditating, of exercise or any other way of healing the body, that could keep such a beaten scarred husk alive for so much longer than what his sensei had already lived.

It was why Gaara had been cheating him out of the more difficult missions, the ones that would require more of him using the gates. His body was his weapon, and no weapon ever lasted long. They became worn and cold, difficult and dead. A kunai could only be sharpened and waxed so many times before it became useless. A vest could only be worn so many times before it's thread became bare and it fell apart at the seams. A human being awaited its day of death, a weapon stared blankly ahead for the day it was discarded.

True, Gai-Sensei and him would not be so carelessly discarded, loved and respected as they were, but they were still weapons, Lee more so than his Sensei. In his thirties, Lee was already feeling the faint throb in the micro-small scars of his muscles.

They were weapons that laughed in the face of danger and eluded death…

But defeating death on so many occasions was also a curse, because then it never came when it was needed most. If his sensei could not even sit down without peace, he would have to be taken off of the active list, and he would have no chance left, unless something that required him with no exception occurred, to die in his way of the ninja.

"G-Gai-Sensei!"

He fell to his knees on the ground, Gai coming down with him to enfold him in his fatherly embrace. Lee's hands grabbed onto his jounin fist. He sobbed, for the first time in a long time, with shame. As ninja, death was their life. They caused it, they met it, they ran from it, they ran into it. For his Sensei to die, he should feel proud for what he had accomplished and for how he had lived, not be in tears because the other was dead. It was unethical and pointless. Tears did not bring the dead back… Another life did, true, but it would be useless to bring a man who had died of old age back to life just to die again.

"It is alright, Lee… I have received my last A-rank mission from Naruto, and shall be moving out tomorrow. It is a solo mission that shall take at most three months as I fight at the shores of the Moon Island for their defense against invaders…"

It remained unsaid that he had no plan on coming back. It remained unsaid that his only plan was to succeed in this last mission, then let go. He would wait for the last second, the last one where he had succeeded and his body was heavy and weary, and then would release himself. That way, he died in his way of the ninja; in war and in defense of friends.

They stayed on the floor for hours, Lee trying his hardest to be proud, and unable to reach that level of happiness. Gai did not attempt to tell him to be proud, nor to be happy, he just held him, tears leaking out of his own eyes. He was going to miss his rival, but his heart stuttered in his chest already with the thought that he was going to leave his greatest pupil and closest thing to a son for good.

Hence, the promise. He knew, as he knew with all things that concerned Lee, that Lee would look back, remember, and move to fulfill a promise. A promise he himself had never made, but one he felt obligated, privileged, to carry through. Gai had once promised Lee that he would die with him if he were to not make it through his surgery, promising to die with Lee if ever his pupil died before him. Now, he had to make sure that Lee did not try to reverse that promise.

Lee was strong, stronger than most were already aware of. But he wasn't rational. He thought with emotions, then with manners when they counted. It would take a second for Lee to fall down into dark oblivion before he would remember the family that needed him. Surely he would find excuses why they did not need him anymore. Surely he would find reasons to not be there anymore, just so he could stay by his sensei's side as he always had. In the next moment that he would realize how foolish his thoughts were and it would be too late.

So, Gai made him promise.

When Lee left, Gai packed and ready to leave in the morning and having stated that he needed his youthful rest in order to retain the youthful energy he would need to complete this difficult mission, and had then gone off to bed, he left with a screaming heart and dry eyes.

If he hurried, he could make it in time for the meeting that would occur before the exams… He didn't, though. His feet carried him elsewhere… A thousand elsewheres, within the half hour he had could have spent being educated on what would be occurring. He reminisced, he sobbed dry tears, and he laughed at forgotten memories.

Three hours later, he was sleeping within the ring of trees that Team Gai had trained so passionately in, his face red and his breathing deep, tightly rolled into himself where Gai-Sensei had always stood when he had not been assisting them. That was where Gaara found him, and that was where Gaara stayed with him, not invading his lovers unconscious space, nor abandoning him in his moment of weakness. He draped his robe of office over the prone body, leaped into the lower branches of the above trees, and watched.

He did not touch, he did not think, he watched. He watched because he knew that tomorrow would be uncertain, and he knew he wasn't ready for that uncertainty.

He watched because a word was forming in his mind as he stared down at his lover and husband, his one hand draping over his left as his eyes gave away not one emotion. His fingers brushed against the skin warmed gold that encircled his ring finger, simply a band that was unobtrusive yet so captivating. This was not the ring he had distractedly chose out for himself when he had made the sudden decision to marry Lee, not the ugly thin band of whatever it had been. He had only given Lee's ring thought, his eyes having caught on the band of emerald green, most likely the rock it had been formed from. No… This was the one Lee had used to replace his other one, apologizing for the offense, but unable to deny that he had wanted to choose Gaara's ring with the special care of someone as observant as he was.

The word began to morph, it's elusive curves and dips beginning to tie together and clear into an image in his mind.

This emotion so much stronger than love, the emotion he had been incapable of naming for all the years he had known of it, the one that made his promise stay true to himself as he had ravaged his lover with this all together more powerful passion…

Was Lee. There was no other word to explain it, not really. There was no emotion stronger than Lee, not any other word that could be found anywhere that could be just as simple or as difficult. His son may have found that same obsessive passionate emotion for his husband, but it did not go by the same name; maybe his emotion for his husband was simply called 'Minamaru', as Gaara's was simply called 'Lee', but it was not the same.

Those three letters were so much stronger than one of four. It was a word that spoke of sacrifice, passion, love, forgiveness, mercy, strength, weakness, family, friends, community, modesty, humility… That one word was a prayer to gods that had mocked him, his answer to life and his defiance of death.

On the ground, Lee stirred, his one hand gripping the kage robe and pulling it over his face, nuzzling his face into the material as he took a deep breath, dragging the scent into his lungs. His red rimmed eyes flickered open, finding Gaara with a blank expression that was only known to those that had seen him as he had finally given into the fact that he may never be a ninja again. He sat up, holding the robe to his chest as he held Gaara's eyes. For long moments, they simply stared, no words needed.

It could have been hours later, or possibly just seconds, before Lee allowed the robe to flutter down onto his lap and reach out to Gaara, a plea in his eyes that his mouth could not form around heart wrenching sobs.

He didn't question, he didn't speak. He simply landed on the ground before Lee, and then enveloped him into his arms, allowing the older man to grip him in an embrace that could break any ordinary man in half, allowing this obsidian eyed creature to scream of his woes against the world as he himself had done when he had been so young and betrayed.

Lee was experiencing life as Gaara had had to experience it as an everyday curse, and he was helpless to do anything to weigh less the load he carried. All he could do was fight emotion with fact, but Lee wasn't open to intellectual discussions. So, instead, he began with his lips over Lee's beautiful ones, that slowly went from there down, pulling the stretchable neck of the spandex suit down as he went along, his hands pulling at the elastic material.

There were no words to make this better, and he would not have been able to think of one had there been. He was a man of action.

When Lee began crying again, it was not of pain of the heart.

* * *

I felt very sophisticated as I wrote this chapter… I also felt very emo. Hey, it had to be faced at some point! People are getting old… And I do think that is how Gai would like to die. I feel proud of this chapter… And somewhat drained. Review please!


	84. Hakujou

Minutes ago, his grand pappy had found him. The distant redhead had met his eyes first among the three, a command drifting in his blue-green eyes.

"Your grandmother needs you."

And Lei had been off, not asking for directions where, nor why. He was naïve and innocent, but not stupid. His grand pappy hadn't even paused in calling his husband 'grandmother' as he usually did, his mind refuting the feminine term to his child bearing husband.

He ran down the street with speed that came from being taught by the two greatest green beasts on earth, breath puffing in and out of his chest as his obsidian eyes welled with tears. What happened to his grand mommy? Had someone hurt him? Had someone made him cry? Why did his grand mommy need him so bad that his grand pappy had actually told him to go forward without his brothers?

It was a sound that alerted him, even if he couldn't bear to stop and investigate it. He turned his head sharply, already flashing pass the disturbance, to meet what appeared to be eyes of blood red. He wasn't certain, though. As he never bothered to pause and think about it, or go back and get a better look. His mind simply shoved the new knowledge into the back of his mind, and continued to scream one thing at him:

'_GRAND MAMMY NEEDS ME!!!!'_

* * *

Shitai and Tadashi stared blankly after their hasty brother, then turned simultaneously back to their grandfather, watching the older redhead watch Lei.

"The old man is dying."

It wasn't a question because Shitai already knew the answer. By his side, Tadashi sighed.

Last night, when their grand mammy should have came to ask them how they were, or if they were excited for the chuunin exams to begin, he hadn't shown up. Both Shitai and Tadashi had known for a fact that their grand mammy had not even came within two miles of where they had been resting in the temporary rooms set out for the visiting students because Lei had stayed up the entire night with his senses strained as far as they could reach. It had been strenuous on the middle child, but he had simply refused to rest until he felt that his grand mammy was near. Times like those, both Shitai and Tadashi agreed that their mom needed to be there.

Because their grandfather and grandmother were here in Konoha, their father and mother were in Suna overlooking official business and finishing things so they could make it in time for the final chuunin exam. They, however, had gotten the long end of the stick. Because Naruto just refused _not_ to watch the exams from start to finish, there was loads of work left in his office. Fights were breaking out, and half of them were started by the hot headed kage himself. Because of this, Gaara had taken to staying by his friend's side to control the blonde while Naruto's husband was away on an A-rank mission doing whatever it was. Lee as well had taken to staying near his dear youthful friend, only because he was just _that_ much faster than his wonderful redheaded devil…

Yes, Kanaye had purposefully settled for staying in Suna, and Minamaru had agreed only after having hugged, kissed, and bear hugged each of his children hundreds of times over before sending them off, lengthy letters arriving in the mail at Konoha everyday from their rainbow haired mother.

Gaara didn't bother to nod, his blue-green eyes sliding to the right as his senses prickled. Just as suddenly, Shitai scowled, his eyes swiveling to the passing by boy, even as Tadashi stared blankly. With no emotion particular in his blood red eyes, the scarlet haired boy turned turquoise rimmed eyes on them. \

His skin was pale, and his body long. The turquoise that was a thick ring around pupil-less eyes thinned into a thin line that curved over his cheeks and stopped at the end of each side of his jaw. The boy wore only a mesh shirt over his upper body, signature ninja pants over his legs and black shinobi sandals on his feet. From where his pants ended at his knees, black bandage wrapping went down into his sandals. There was a leather band over his left bicep, another strip of the black material on his right wrist. By his side were two other beings, but left no impression. It wasn't the boy's _appearance_, it was the boy's _aura._

"There's a jinchuuraki in our midst."

Shitai observed out loud, his blue-green eyes staring at the red creature. Watching the boy as well, Gaara didn't even nod.

"Gonjou, Hakujou… The carrier of the no-tail demon, Hibibu… The demon was forgotten, only a memory in myths… Up until 13 years ago, where it was placed into the child of the hidden mist. The last attempt of a dying world to bring fear into it's balance once more so they could rise above the terror of the others and finally regain the respect, awe, and horror it had held as one of the greatest shinobi countries."

Shitai sneered at the identified boy. The boy had, however, moved on, followed by his two silent companions without a word.

"The bloody mist? We are going to trust people who came from the bloody mist in our territory? Since when did they send anyone anywhere for any shinobi training?"

"Since they were too frightened to train him themselves."

Gaara's eyes met Shitai's.

"He has killed before… Many people, without any remorse. He has, just as I had, fallen into a madness of worlds where love is unnecessary but pain a lust."

He turned his back on his grandchildren, his kage robe fluttering with the sharp turn, as he made his way towards the kage's main building. Naruto was likely to have gotten himself killed by now.

Shitai and Tadashi watched their grandfather's back until it was no longer visible, then turned their eyes to the direction the boy had disappeared.

"… He's stalking that guy."

"Has been for a while now… Apparently, the victim is needed dead by grandfather as well, or else he would have stopped his advance."

Shitai nodded to Tadashi's knowledge, his eyes flickering as they raced hundreds of miles a second in a forming a fool proof plan on how to approach the situation. He wasn't going to be kazekage one day simply because his hair was red. He was smart, dominant, and strong.

Within seconds, they were in the woods, following after the four figures.


	85. That Same Day

Hana watched the white haired ANBU with a blush across her cheeks. From when Kouga and Makato had graduated the chuunin exams seven years ago, they had continued to succeed, though Kouga had stopped at Jounin two years back. The teen before her, however, was already an ANBU officer… Very quickly rising to be just as great as his father.

She sighed, her hands clasped together as she watched the other. He had let his hair grow even further, now reaching halfway down his back in a restrained ponytail. He wore a tight sleeveless turtleneck, the hem of his mask tucked beneath it so there was no skin to show between his shoulders, up to the bridge of his nose. He wore signature black ninja pants, white bandages wrapped from his ankles to midway up to his knees, with black signature ninja sandals to go with them. He held in one hand an Icha Icha novel, and calmly flipped the pages with the other hand.

She trotted to catch up with him as he walked down the street, tangling her hands together behind her back as she did so. Some years back, she had died her hair blonde, making her hazel eyes pop out like having her raven hair had not. Purposefully, she swayed, making her large breasts swish as he flickered his eyes to her. Her heart stuttered when he simply looked away, not at all affected by the act.

"Moko… I might graduate this year…"

Her soft seductive voice was ignored.

"I could finally become a chuunin…"

"Seven years after the fact, Hana."

His cold voice made her look away, rubbing one hand down the opposite arm.

"Well, I'm not as great as you, Moko."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? _She _calls you that."

There was venom in her voice, even as she kept an innocent haze over her eyes. Makato stopped walking, looking at her blankly. She smiled under his full attention.

"I am so much better than her, Moko… You kiss her every time she's near, but does she know what you feel for her? No. She's a cold whoring bitch-"

She wheezed, her hands feebly scratching at the wrist of the hand that held her throat, her body flush against a building wall. Makato's face remained blank.

"You will kindly not refer to her as yourself, Hana. Jealousy does not suit you."

He released her in flipping another page in his book.

"You disgust me."

He said it with no emotion. Hana, however, felt her heart tear in two.

"Wh-what?"

"You are so incredibly weak. You fawn over me for years, knowing that I will never look at you as even a friend much less a lover, And then…"

What could be seen of his face remained blank, but _something _in his eyes made her shrink against the brick of the building behind her, her skin trembling in fear.

"You attempt to get me to betray my best friend."

"What do you care!?"

She took a step forward, her hands clenched at her sides as her teeth grinded together. He simply stared at her.

"You two would rather kill each other than work together! He's nothing to me but a lost puppy! I thought what I was doing would-"

"Make me like you?"

She paused, then nodded slowly. A white eyebrow rose enquiringly.

"How… would breaking the heart of my best friend make me like you?"

"Why do you call him your best friend? I did what I did because you hate him!"

"I don't hate him."

She shook her head desperately.

"Yes, you do!"

"I would rather kill him than take an order from him."

Makato compromised.

"I'd kill anyone that would try to hurt him. We can't work for each other, but we can work together. I'd rather work with him than any other person here. We kid around with each other and do what we can to piss each other off, but we don't hate each other."

Makato nodded to what Kouga said, flipping to another page in his comic. Hana, however, was staring straight ahead of herself, her skin pale and her eyes horrified. Ever so slowly, she looked behind herself to where the bug nin stood, his opaque eyes staring at the wall opposite him of where he stood in the alley.

"And I'm not a lost puppy."

Hana, mollified with how she had just shamed herself, turned tail and ran away, wailing and tears flying from her eyes as she went. She had never bothered to look at Kouga's eyes, however.

Makato stepped into the alley and placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder, not doing anything else as his friend stared with pain at the opposing wall. He wouldn't cry, Makato knew. He was going to get pissed here in another second or two, but he wasn't going to cry.

As he had predicted, Kouga spun around and slammed his fist into the side of the brick building, cursing under his breath as he did so.

"I'm not a lost puppy."

Makato shook his head.

"Of course not…"

Even through his dark gray mask, the ever growing smile could be seen as he inspected the damaged hand.

"Now, I hear Koi is in town! We should get her to fix this up right away!"

He didn't wait to hear Kouga say he didn't need it healed. They were gone in a puff of smoke before that could occur.

* * *

They had trained for a number of hours. Not one word had been exchanged as they had downed tree by tree by boulder by tree. Now, Lei bleeding somewhat, he flopped down onto the roots of one of the remaining trees, his grand mammy following after. Lei stared at his grand mammy for long moments, unable to see his face with how his hair fell over it and that it was hiding in his shoulder. Then he blinked as he noticed something.

With no hesitation, he pulled his grand mammy into his small chest, stroking the loose braid of the other as he spoke in a small innocent voice.

"It's okay, grand mammy… It'll get better, I promise!"

His grand mammy's shoulders continued to shake, even as he wrapped bandaged arms around his small form and held on as if for dear life. Not one sound came from the breaking man, but Lei could feel the dampness of the other's face.

"Grand mammy, what's wrong?"

"… M-Maybe when you are older… Little Lei…"

Lei took up a defensive expression.

"But I am older, grand mammy! I'm gonna become a chuunin soon here, so I need to know!"

His grand mammy lifted his face from Lei's chest, his circular eyes red with tears and his face stained nearly purple. The tears slowed as he choked on them, then began to laugh softly as he closed his obsidian orbs. In turn, he wrapped Lei up in his arms and pulled the small boy to him.

"You are right, little Lei… You are getting older!… I guess I can not call you 'little Lei' anymore, can I?"

Lei nodded his head proudly. Lee smiled conspiringly.

"Nor can I make you chocolate chip cookies with red hot peppers in them anymore, or buy you little squirrely pajamas, or even-"

Lei threw his arms around his grand mammy's waist, almost crying.

"I'll be your little Lei forever, grand mammy!"

He laughed softly once more, returning the embrace with strength.

"Yosh!"

* * *

It's all I got in me right now… For a few minutes or hours, at least… I hope.


	86. From Man to Boy

"Push me again!"

The small boy squealed with laughter as he swore he could feel himself fly. He made sure to keep his grip tight on the chains holding the swing aloft, though. She said she would stop pushing him if he let go and got hurt… again.

"Higher! Higher!"

He laughed as she laughed, his eyes sealing shut so he could feel himself slice through the air as he rose to the sky once more-

Then she yelped. On his descent, no one pushed him. He dragged his feet through the sand of the playground, spinning his head around on his shoulders to find out what had happened to her. What he saw made him scared and angry in the same breath.

"LET GO OF KOI!!!"

He leaped off of the swing and rain straight at the blonde holding Koi to the tree that was placed 10 or so feet away from the swing set. He shoved his entire weight against her side, making her trip and him fall with her. He didn't hit the ground, however. Two arms that was a shade shy of light chocolate were wrapped around his waist, pulling him out of his drop.

He held her, his tiny shoulders almost shaking as he touched small chubby fingers to her throat where clear indents of the other's hand could still be seen.

"Are you okay, Koi?"

She smiled down at him, an expression that one would see from an angel to a welcomed soul. Her blue-green eyes looking down at him affectionately as her white teeth showed only slightly through apricot lips. Her waist length hair, tied back in a bun so as not to get to tangled, had released some tresses over her face and shoulders, touching the neck of her mint green tunic that reached to her thighs. From there, the blue headband was hooked loosely to the ends of the tunic, cherry red pants to her knees where they stopped and her feet bare.

"I am now that I have such a strong man watching over me!"

He blushed at the comment. She touched slender fingers to his small hand and gently pulled it from her neck. Raising his knuckles to her lips, she kissed them lightly, her smile still beautifully upon her face.

"Why don't you go protect the others for me? I will be right back."

He frowned, his mouth opening to argue, when the blonde he had shoved away from Koi cursed, standing to her feet and glaring at him with so much hatred in her eyes, he actually trembled. Regardless, he pushed himself firmly in between the offender and Koi, his eyes staring directly into the other's hazel eyes.

"You're not going to hurt her!"

The blonde actually snorted. She pushed her leg forward -moving to kick him- and he shut his eyes, waiting for the impact. It never came.

He opened his eyes cautiously. Holding the leg of the offender an inch or so from his chest was Koi's hand, her arm reaching over his shoulder to do so.

"Very brave!"

Her other hand stroked his wild brunette locks, leaning over his other shoulder to smile at him again.

"Please, Yuuki? See? I can take care of myself. If I need your help, I call for you."

He nodded, his face serious. If she called, he would be on the blonde before the blonde knew what was on her! He turned hateful eyes back to the surprised offender.

"Ya hear that? If you hurt her, I'll be back!"

He moved slowly away from them, his eyes glaring at the offender the whole time. Once he was back within the ring of sand, however, he ran to his friends on the merry-go-round. They were going to need him to watch them till the lady was gone!

Koi watched Yuuki leave with a sad face before turning that same expression onto Hanna, standing to her feet and releasing the blonde's foot in the same motion.

"You had no reason to do that! This is a playground!"

Her heart was practically breaking in her chest. Because of her, Yuuki had almost gotten hurt… and now all the children in the park were looking frightened and apprehended. Some of the parents were leaving, as if they could sense something bad was going to happen.

"What the hell does he see in you?"

Koi blinked, confusion mixing in with the hurt.

"Who?"

"You're so fucking precious to him, he doesn't even pay attention to me! I have boobs damn it!"

In example, she gestured to her own, then pointed rudely at Koi's.

"You could be flat chested for all we know."

Koi frowned, looking down at herself. Now overly confused, she looked at Hanna with eyebrows drawn together. She had officially lost track of the argument… Well, she was almost positive it was an argument…

She caught the fist that swung towards her face, blocking a kick easily in the same moment as she also grabbed the wrist of the captured hand and flipped Hanna over her shoulder using it. She had been caught off guard with the flying tackle which had paused her long enough for the choke hold, but her mother _was_ Sabaku no Lee, the second beautiful green beast of Konoha.

"Hanna, what is wrong with you!? There are children here! If you want to get rough, we can go somewhere-"

She caught the blade in between her palms inches from her chest, her eyes wide with disbelief on the other girl. There was pure hatred and anguish in her hazel eyes.

"What are you _doing_?"

There were cries at the park, almost all of the parents grabbing their children and running, leaving no one behind… All except one, however.

"KOI!!! I'll save you!"

Her blue-green eyes swung to Yuuki with horror in her eyes.

"Yuuki, stay back!"

Not like, in the next moment, he had a choice. Nor did Hanna have any choice either of being forcefully airlifted and thrown thirty feet. And it was entirely the sand's fault… White grains as well.

A black shinobi sandal formed out of a swirling storm of creamy white, weight resting on it as it pressed down on the blonde's chest. A pale face with pupiless blue-green eyes slowly morphing into being with hair an array of colors following it. Once the transformation of man from sand was finished, Shitai stared blankly down at his captive, one elbow casually on the knee of the raised leg, his other arm resting over the other.

"Why were you trying to harm my aunt? Do you want to die?"

All she could do was wheeze, the air having been knocked out of her lungs. Shitai did not change expression as he pulled out a kunai from his pouch, the metal glinting in the noonday sun.

"As you wish."

The blade never reached it's destination of the other's heart. For the third time that day, Koi had stopped a life threatening blow; this one from her own nephew. Her arms were wrapped about his waist, shoving herself backwards in the same lunge with Shitai held against her chest.

"Shitai, please don't do it! She's not worth it! Do you hear me, Shitai? She's not worth it!"

They tumbled over three times before Koi finally had her nephew where she wanted him; his ear pressed to her heart, her mouth to his other ear as she whispered an all too familiar lullaby to him.

It was the same exact one Minamaru had sung to her as a small child. It was the same one that she would sneak into the triplet's room to sing for their ears only, just as Minamaru had once snuck into hers just for her only. Hardly seconds passed by, then Shitai was no longer thinking of Hanna. He forced himself off of that topic in favor of sighing in true annoyance and assisting his aunt to her feet. One thin red brow quirked when he caught sight of Yuuki holding a rock over his head threateningly, even as his hands trembled slightly, forewarning that it was just as likely as to fall onto the boy's head instead of being successfully thrown anywhere.

Koi took the rock from Yuuki's hands, stroking his wild hair as she made a cooing noise in the back of her throat to calm him down. After a moment of looking tired, she laughed softly.

"I seem to be a magnet for everyone with anger issues…"

Shitai shrugged, even though he wasn't looking at them. He was looking at the spot where Hanna had lied, his mind sending him tantalizing images of what _could _have been. Except the bitch was long gone by now… He could track her down by chakra, if he so desired, but it would be poor sport to go to the prey.

"You inherited it from grandma, I suppose…"

That made her laugh from her gut, almost falling to her knees at the thought. Why it was so funny to her, only Yuuki cared; staring up at her with concern as her forehead touched the grass beneath them in her humor. Shitai's one eyebrow twitched, his eyes going to his aunt with an incredulous expression.

"Seriously? It wasn't that funny, auntie."

Wiping away the tears, Koi decided it best not to tell her nephew of how many other things she had _supposedly _inherited from her 'mommy'. The list went on and on and on… and on. She couldn't help it if she found it hilarious to add yet another trait onto the never ending thing.

"KOI!! Koi, love!"

On her feet once more, she was running before she leaped, arms spread wide away from her body as she landed with a giggle into the pale awaiting arms of the white haired teen.

"Moko! I've been here for hours! I was starting to get worried."

Kouga scowled, turning his eyes away. There was a hissing sound of warning, and she could hear Yuuki grumbling something under her breath. However, she was enjoying the feeling of his strong heartbeat resounding into her own chest, his shirt and flesh doing nothing to hold it within. She laughed as he pressed his lips to hers teasingly, even as she felt a familiar tear in her heart.

Why couldn't he mean it for real? Every hug and kiss, these silly pet names… Why couldn't it be something more?

Regardless, she didn't let that show through, allowing herself to just enjoy it. Makato hugged and kissed everyone… As far as she knew, he could be an asexual man that loved to reach porn. It didn't make much sense but… Nothing did when it came to the heart thieving Hatake.

"I assure you, I was aware of the very second you came through those front gates, my dear love! Alas, there was some other business I had to attend to! Now, allow me to make it up to you!"

There was one thing, she knew for a fact, she had inherited from her 'mommy': a very sensitive neck. She squealed like Yuuki had done minutes ago on the swing when Makato somehow managed to blow raspberries across the flesh through his mask… Most likely a skill learned from having his affection wars with her big brother, firefly. As she had heard from both her parents and Makato's, that has not changed since he had been a baby.

The hissing of sand became overpowering, as did the undignified shouts of Yuuki. For the first time ever, however, that seemed to bother Makato. He went deathly still, his lips still on her neck. He pulled away slowly, his ice blue eyes scrutinizing the flesh his mouth had just assaulted. Koi blinked, then remembered the earlier attack of Makato's teammate. A solid flush came over her face and down her neck.

"… I can explain…?"

There was something almost… terrifying about how closely his gaze seemed focused on the abused skin of her neck. Then he blinked, his eyes sliding shut as she could make out his lips forming a large smile beneath the dark gray material of his mask.

"It is alright, love! I just forgot that I had an errand to do, that's all! It is a very… very important obligation of mine…"

He put her back down on her feet, his smile so pleasant through his mask, she wasn't so certain whether or not she should let him out of her sight. She had seen that smile once before… It was the same one she had seen when they had encountered the same boy -who had grown into a buff teen at that point- who had shoved Makato back when they had been children. The same one that had caused Koi to fall off of the swing. Makato had gone missing for seven minutes, returned, and that same boy had came stumbling out of wherever he had gone, his eyes glassy as he tripped over his own feet. Since he had started running away when she had stepped forward to help him, she hadn't gotten to heal him, but she had asked someone to do so for her.

She wasn't entirely certain if the two were of any relevance to each other, but she felt it would be safer to not be sorry.

"Stay. Auntie hasn't been here for almost a year, I doubt she wants to be alone."

She blinked, surprised, as she nodded her head in agreement to Shitai's words. Then she did a double take.

"Shitai, where are you going!?"

His back was to her as he walked away, his gourd of white grains securely sashed across his back.

"I am going to find grandfather to go over… something I saw today."

…

_The blade slashed cleanly through his throat, held by his own hand. His body was lax as it fell to the ground, even as his eyes echoed pain and terror. Watching, Tadashi and Shitai were ready to leave. Why would the three stalk the man this deeply into the woods just to watch him kill himself? Why had the man looked so horrified as he had done so? Perhaps he had not wished to be caught? Had that been the case, then the three were weak for not having stopped him in time…_

_Except they never left. They leaped from their hiding place and landed before the red-haired, red-eyed boy, kneeling with their eyes staring straight up at him. For neither of their lives could they move. Not a finger would twitch. They were helpless, and only their eyes seemed capable of conveying it. It didn't take two and two to realize that whatever held them had been what had held the man. _

"_Haven't your parents ever told you not to follow the monster into the woods?"_

_Shitai attempted to surge his sand at the jinchuuraki, focusing on his mind instead of his body. Nothing happened. The redhead's face remained blank._

"_You don't do anything I don't want you to do. I control everyone of your chakra paths. In this moment, I could make you stop breathing, your heart stop beating… I could make you piss yourself if I wanted to. Luckily for you, I don't feel like making someone else soak their pants."_

"_Hakujou…"_

_The voice was hard, but spoken lowly and with a slight squeak at the end: fear. The man who stood behind the jinchuuraki had his eyes focused to the ground, his hands clasped behind his back. If he had anything else to say, he had no courage left to say it. _

_Red eyes never left them, looking from Shitai's fury filled eyes to Tadashi's blank one. _

"_I know, Tadj. Killing the sons of the sixth kazekage not benefit us in the end."_

_Tadashi and Shitai went limp on the ground, their lungs gasping for air as if they had never before tasted such freedom. A second later, white sand was swirling around the jinchuuraki. Shitai could _not_ let that walk out of the woods alive. In the next moment, he had no choice, gripping his heart as it stopped beating in his chest, his other hand pounding at his chest as he attempted to force air through reluctant lungs. Tadashi fell by his side, his hands holding his throat in the most feeble attempt Shitai had ever seen his eldest brother do._

"_I don't speak empty threats, boy."_

_Red eyes looked over a mesh covered shoulder, staring at Tadashi and Shitai with no emotion. _

"_I can end you before you realize you took your own life."_

_._

…

Shitai wasn't three steps away when Koi's pouting expression turned into one of one of horrified concern as her eyes went from his back to Kouga's bleeding hand.

"Kou, what happened to your hand!"

Kouga flinched slightly under the sudden attention, turning his opaque eyes from the conversation to the ground as his damaged hand was held tenderly in Koi's.

"What did you do!?"

Yuuki studied the fist with awe, his eyes wide. Koi looked down to Yuuki with an upset expression on her face.

"Yuuki… Could you please go the park and play with the other chil-…dren?"

The park was empty, having abandoned it at the first sight of danger. They were intelligent civilians… They knew better than to stick around when ninja fought. Her frown grew more pronounced, a ragged sigh escaping her.

"Hey, little man, why don't we go play in the park, neh?"

Koi blinked as Makato kneeled down low enough that he was eye level to the boy, his eyes closed as a sign that he was smiling. Conflict flashed across Yuuki's face, then he nodded.

"Okay! But it's called man time!"

He pointed at Shitai.

"He can make sure no one hurts Koi until we can come back and save her!"

Makato nodded vigorously, giving a lazy salute as Yuuki nodded his head and ran full charge into the park. Koi smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Moko!"

Then her speculative eyes turned back to Kouga's hand.

"What did you do, Kou? Did you smash this against a wall?"

"Brick, to be specific."

With that, Makato stole one last kiss, then chased Yuuki into the park, making the little boy squeal in surprise before he began running from the newly appointed ANBU officer. Koi blinked, then redirected her attention… or would have, had Kouga not ripped his hand out of hers, his canine teeth clenched together with his eyes hidden by the shadows created by his pitch black hair.

"It's fine!"

"No, it's not."

Koi grabbed his wrist again. Kouga twisted out of it, the blood making it harder to keep a solid hold. Koi sighed in aggravation. Kouga began to walk away.

"I'll just get my aunt to look at it later… What the hell!?"

Sand twined up his legs and over his torso, holding onto his waist like lover's arms.

"She is going to look at your hand."

Kouga growled, not even bothering to look at the cold eyes of Shitai's.

"Says the almighty Sabaku."

"Orders the almighty Sabaku."

Shitai corrected, his one hand coming up to grip Kouga's wrist firmly and hold the fisted hand out to his aunt. Kouga snarled as he attempted to rip the appendage away again, but the redhead's grip was much more sure than gentle hold of Koi.

There were three minutes in which Koi healed Kouga's hand, two more minutes than necessary, seeing as how the wound was not at all that deep. The fourth minute, when Shitai stroked his thumb over Kouga's pulse, was the minute Koi rose her voice to overcome Kouga's startled yelp.

"Why did you slam your fist into a brick wall?"

Kouga's disbelieving eyes on the blank faced redhead became guarded ones upon the ground.

"… It was an accident…"

"Oh?"

Koi patted his hand, signaling that she was done. It was another moment before Shitai took his hand away, but the sand didn't release him yet. Kouga growled.

"You can let me go now."

"You haven't answered her question."

"I told you, it was an accident!"

"Kou…"

She laid a hand over his cheek.

"Please don't lie… We're a team, remember? You can't lie to your team."

He growled again, and then made a dry snorting sound in the back of throat, a bitter smile on his face.

"As my sis would say it… I scared a hoe away. Now can I go?"

Koi looked to Shitai, who seemed to consider it for a moment. The moment was the sand dissipated from his body, Kouga was nothing but a fading mist. Koi looked to Shitai, concern in her eyes.

"He's been hurt today… and I'm not talking about his hand."

She looked at Shitai's face, then turned her head away to instead watch Makato push the merry-go-round for Yuuki. It was a much better image than the hungry look in her nephew's blue-green eyes, his lips twisted up into a feral smirk.

"Please, Shitai… I know he's hurt you, but… just…"

"Just what, Auntie?…"

He was fading away, white grains left behind in a beautiful, yet terrifying show of how much control he had over himself.

"He's open game now…"

She sighed, her eyes sliding shut.

"But you're not even a preteen yet… Does anyone take the time to be a kid anymore?"

"WOW!! DID YOU SEE THAT!!! THAT DUDE WAS MADE OF SAND!!!!"

"So? Look what I can do!"

There was the unquestionable sound of dozens of Makato's suddenly coming into existence. Koi kept her eyes closed as her eyebrows slanted together and her shoulders began shaking.

"THAT IS SO COOL!!!!!"

Finally, she let it out. The sound paused both boys in the playground, approximately 72 Makatos looking to Koi with adoration, love, and lust in their eyes. Only one Yuuki stared with them, a tinge of red across his cheeks as he smiled widely.

It was a beautiful sound when Koi laughed from her heart instead of from her gut.

Her eyes opened, instantly meeting the ice blue of the true Makato without even having to second guess, a small smile still on her lips.

At least she knew some that didn't want to be old, young.

* * *

…Wow… That came out smoothly for something I felt I was in the midst of a writer's block for… Anywho, I was blackmailed into doing it! I was reading this really cool story on Y!gallery, Song of the Silent Night, by Lunaka and Darkprism, and was… Well, giving an ultimatum. Also, my second hubby was becoming impatient. I feel so proud of myself! And it took… damn. Somewhere around five to three hours. Why does writing take so much time when it comes out so smoothly?


	87. What You Don't Know Shouldn't Hurt You

…

_A moment of weakness was my down fall. I let him sway me with sweet words and tender kisses and I loved every second of air he breathed into my ear made my stomach jump, as he whispered "let me have you". Lips softer than I thought brushed across my neck only to nip at the tip of my ear with his teeth. He looked me in the eyes and said once again "let me have you". This time his eyes were filled with lust, so much so I could have drowned in them. I thought to my self what am I doing!? I can't get swept away like this, I can't fall in love, I don't want to! but I can't stop this ill fall. I don't want to, damn it, if reading my mind, he smirked and said "you don't have to think, just give yourself to me" and so I did. He laid me down on his kissed down my neck and across my collar bone, all the while undressing me. I felt his hand reach around me to my back and unclip my bra, sliding it of my shoulders. He stopped his kisses on my neck only to look at my bare breasts. Biting his lips and, then mine, sending a spike of pleasure up my spine, licking it, I let his tongue inside my mouth. he started to rub and squeeze at my nipples with his right hand, causing me to arch out of his kiss."you're so sensitive, I wonder what would happen if I used my mouth""heh heh....try it and find o..." I was cut off when he began to test his wondering. "you taste like cinnamon.""Shut... uh..nhhh" I felt that hot tongue of his roll over my nipple and then suck on it with more force then the fist time. While he sucked on my breasts, his hand made its way to my pants. In one move they were off, rubbing his hand across the dip in my stomach that led to my naval. he stopped his attack on my nipples in favor of leaning up and whispering in my ear "I'm going to taste every part of you" and he ripped offthe black boy shorts I had been wearing beneath my up, he looks at me, kissing my lips once more, before his lips begin trekking down my body, his mouth suckling and nipping, as he moved downward, parting my legs slightly as he came between them. Small droplets of sweat rolled down my body and a slight blush rose onto my face, watching his chuckled, meeting her eyes with a smirk, so unlike him. _

_"Keep looking like that and I won't be able to hold back"_

_I almost went to cover up with a blanket, not liking how vulnerable I felt, but he stopped me, still holding my eyes like a snake would it's prey._

_"Don't try to hide yourself form me" _

_He grabbed my hands, pulled them over my head and kissed me, reworking his way down my body with histongue to my neck across my chest down my stomach, finally to my thighs, then reached my legs again, spreading them once more. he spread my legs, I closed my eyes as he went down, telling myself to stop being so affected. "Ahhh..uh huhuhu....oohh" _

_Clearly, it didn't work. I heard him chuckle, but I was to busy trying to breathe to curse him, that bastard. I was moaning so loud, the pleasure was almost too much. When I felt a searing pain shoot up my body, I arched up away from the intrusion."nnhuuhhaa...wh-aat ar..ah ha you doing" _

_I could barely get the words out, pain slowly gaining an edge of pleasure. I felt his finger move in and out of me fast then slow, adding another one and repeating the process. He was stretching me, and it was starting to feel fucking good."Ah!... I... c-cant take i-...it...uh! Hahha uuhaaa..ooooh" _

_His fingers hit a spot in me and his tongue ran across my clitoris, leaving me of my sanity. I felt him suckling me as I came, juices escaping me. I clasped my hands into his head of blue, arching up into his mouth and hands, and saw stars. Once I came down off my high, he stood and looked at me, licking his lips as he spoke._

_"You really do taste like cinnamon."_

_He took off his pants. I couldn't help but blush at the sight before me. He was too damn sexynaked, then he tossed his shirt into a corner of his room. Falling back onto the bed, catching himself on his hands and knees above me, he met my eyes with a serious expression in his I knew too well. It was the one he would give Jun and I back on missions when he knew he was going to get one of us hurt and couldn't do anything about it. _

_"This will hurt, so share your pain with me."his erection was too big, feeling like a goddamn boulder trying to shove itself inside of me. As if he could read my mind, he edged himself out, leaning down on top of me, his face morphing into the most shocking expression I had ever before seen. A real smile. If it hadn't been the situation it was, I would have teased him about it._

_"I'll go slow, use whatever you want, just share your pain with me"_

_Even around the edge of lingering pain, I managed to smirk._

"_Boy, we'll both be crying by the time we're done here."I felt his hardness brush pass my thigh and back into me, the head of him squeezing into my vagina. I cursed as I grasped the sheets between my hands. He shook his head, his teeth clenched together, as he looked down at me._

_"Share your pain with me, not the bed."_

_Without thinking, I took his advice, digging my nails into his back and biting his shoulder. The deeper he went, the more I could feel him becomeapart of me, his blood becoming an overwhelming scent as the sweet taste of it filled my mouth and the tips of my fingers became wet. He stopped suddenly, and I knew why. I could feel his head touching against my barrier, the last thing keeping him out. _

_Oh shit, I'm going to die. Regardless, I took a deep breath, trembling like a leaf, and took my fangs from his shoulder in favor of growling at him, staring into his speculating eyes."MOVE damn it." _

_He embraced me in his arms as he shoved forward, catching my yelp with his mouth. I bit into his bottom lip, whimpering as the most intimate pain. He didn't flinch in my abusive hold, just letting me do what I had to do. I waited a moment, a second one, then twitched my hips uncertainly. When the pain edged away, something else crawling down my spine, I licked his lip, taking the flesh I had just bitten gently between my lips._

"_What the hell you waiting for?"_

_I didn't even finish talking before he was moving slowly in and out, teasing me. Bastard. _

_"Da-a-mn i-it g-go f-faster."_

"_Heh, look who's begging" _

_he speeded up, going in and out faster and faster. Then he hit my G-spot, that little spot that made me scream, and began hitting it repeatedly. I arched into him more, panting and screaming, his pace became uneven. I was on the verge of being pushed over the edge and so was hit that spot one more time and my entire being, all of my muscles, tensed up. My mouth was open and for a second I stopped breathingas waves of pleasure rolled all over my body. He snarled as he pulled out of me, his essence spurting over my belly._

_Damn it, next time we need to remember condoms. I want to feel him He lied beside me and looked me straight in the eyes._

"_I love you."_

_I never thought that I would hear those words from him. They shock me so much, my mouth drops open and I feel my face light up._

_He actually smirks at my surprise. I growl as I punch my fist into his still bleeding shoulder, my flesh still trembling from earlier. _

"_Fuck you!"_

_He grabs my fist and runs his tongue over my knuckles. _

"_I believe I did."_

_I growl again and turn my back on him, dragging the blankets around me and pouting at the opposing wall. That bastard._

_Moments passed by of my not really feeling angry but really, really wanting to. Except I'm feeling a little light and it feels so much better than being on the verge of ripping someone's throat out for once. I shudder as his hands whisper down my back, feeling each of his individual scars as he removes his hand to press his front flush to my back. _

"_And?"_

"_And?"_

_I mock. I yelp when my ass gets pinched in punishment. _

"_And?"_

_He tries again. I fake a sigh, rolling my eyes as I mumble under my breath what I know he wants to hear… and what I (will never admit to, not one fucking person on this planet can get me to do that!) feel… Lots of feelings tonight… Don't like it. _

"_I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."_

_I snap out at him when he slaps my ass with his full palm._

"_You kinky bastard! Leave my ass alone!"_

_His face is innocently blank as his grape colored eyes stare into mine. _

"_Could you please say that louder?"_

"_Leave my ass alone!"_

_Another slap, accompanied by a pinch. This bastard dies… tonight. _

"_Fine!"_

_I twist my whole body around to swing my arms around his neck and slam my lips to his. A square of a second later, I pull away, snarling under my breath._

"_I love you too… Happy!?"_

_I'm on my back before I realize it, blinking stupidly up at him as he stares down at me. _

"_You have no idea…"_

_I snort as I look away, cursing him as his tongue whispers over my cheeks. The bastard's teasing me 'cause I know I'm blushing… Minutes go by…_

"_Ready for round two, lover boy?"_

_I did not have to ask twice._

…

Which had ended in this predicament. She was in _such_ a bad mood, Oki was avoiding her… Son of a fucking bitch, the world must be laughing its ass off.

For all she cared at the moment, the whole world could go burn in hell right now… and one person specifically in that hell.

She turned opaque eyes on an approaching jounin, a deep scowl on her face as she stared him down. He decided to take the time to walk a full thirty feet around her, holding oddly trembling papers before his face.

That bastard had promised her that he'd be home by yesterday! Yet, here she was, without her fucking bastard! Hell, she would have thought that he could at _least_ take care of himself for three months on an A-rank mission and _still_ get back on time, but no… He had to go be a… fucking bastard!

She finally got into the woods, her hands stuffed inside her pockets as she stared at the ground with murderous intention. Anyone that would have seen her just then would have been positive that they heard the grass and dirt trail whimper, but, since there was no one there, it went unnoticed.

She kept walking, going further and further into the woods. These were the same woods that, all those years ago, she had nearly lost her life for her little brother.

Three years ago, the bastard had gone straight up her blind side, saying things and doing things that had practically stunned her. By the time she had realized what the hell was going on and that she was acting like a little pussy, there had been no way in _hell_ she would have turned back. It was now an open secret that they were together… Minus the 'open' part, and highlight the 'secret' part. They didn't go out of their way to hide it, but they sure as all hell didn't show it off either. She knew damn well she wasn't going to prove Minamaru right… He could suffer in silence, that rainbow haired bubble gum bottom ass boy…

She paused on the trail, her nose twitching as her eyes went blank for a moment. Then she walked again, her glare even more pronounced as she stared at the ground, an almost growl escaping her throat. In the next split second, there was no sight of her on the trail, nor anywhere near it… That was mostly because she was more currently pressed between a hard place and… another hard place… possibly a mile or so from where she had just stood.

The hard place her back was pressed to was a large aged oak tree, it's branches winding up into the sky. The hard place that was currently devouring her from the inside out was the fucking bastard that should have been there _yesterday_.

She snarled in the same breath she attempted to snap her teeth down on his bottom lip. Unfortunately, he pulled away too fast, making her teeth click together instead. She glared up into his calm grape eyes, wanting to rip them out if not for his holding her wrists above her head.

"Where the _hell _were you?! No! No, you don't get anything!"

She turned her face away as he attempted to touch his lips to hers again. She was _pissed_. Instead of getting upset as well, he chuckled. He continued his path, pressing his lips to her frantic pulse.

"Did you miss me that much?"

"Hell no. Who would miss your sorry ass?"

One of his eyebrows drew up in an 'oh really?' expression. However, getting her first clear view of his face, she instantly stopped freaking out over the late thing… just to start screaming about the scar thing.

"WHO THE HELL DID THIS TO YOU!!?!?"Birds in nearby trees raced from their nests with screeches of displeasure and surprise. The man before her, however, remained calm and collected.

That bastard.

She twisted her hands from his, laying one palm flat against his uninjured cheek to better inspect the other one. There was now another scar running from his hairline, just barely around his right eye, to cross over his upper lip. Where that one ended, another one started an inch or more closer to the ear, running down his jaw to graze his throat and disappear beneath the collar of his vest.

She switched cheeks to inspect the other one. The left part of his face was unmarked… for the most part. A lighter graze went from his temple straight down to his collar with no break. She snarled, her eyes lighting up with hatred and protective possessiveness.

"Oh, tell me they're still alive. I will hunt his ass down and teach him what a bitch is, that mother fucking whoring little son of a-"

She was cut off -by his lips, of course- and fell into it with little fight, though she did give one last warning growl. Their teeth clacked as their tongues swirled over the other's. Only when her vision became gray did they separate, a trail of saliva still between them.

"It makes me hard whenever you go mamma bitch on someone…"

She smirked, wiping the saliva away with the back of her hand.

"… Especially since you're my bitch…"

His back hit the opposing tree that had been two or so feet to their left.

"You know exactly what to say to ruin the mood, you jackass."

He didn't even blink.

"But you like dirty talk."

There was no apology in his voice, just a confident sensuality.

"You like having an alpha."

He stood so close to her now, their chests were almost touching.

"And you love me."

She snorted as she shoved his chest.

"Dream on, lover boy."

She leaped away, landing on a branch to stare tauntingly down at Hitori.

"Ya see this sweet ass?"

She slapped a hand to her black clad butt.

"You get nothing!"

"Unless I catch it, of course."

She smirked.

"Of course."

* * *

Thank 'just a girl two' for the smut, Yaoi lovers and lovetts. Had it not been for her, this chapter may possibly have never came into existence. She wrote the smut and gave it to me because she thought it would fit this couple better than the one she originally had planned for it. And, no, ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart, Minamaru does _not_ know about them… So don't try it… Kanaye is a different story, but, sshhh, nobody knows that yet. -shifty eyes- _Nobody_…

Ignore the bad spacing of the first paragraph, please. I have no idea why it happened that way, because I know it was not like that when I was typing it.


	88. Chuunin Exams

_It was now the last stage of the Chuunin Exams. The 'stroll' through the dangerous forest had taken three days, the Sabaku siblings arriving second to the Gonjou trio. It didn't take long to find out how that happened, despite the Sabaku siblings avoiding the other teams and making a straightforward path towards their destination. Out of the nine teams that were in the Chuunin Exams this year, only five teams -including the Sabaku siblings- made it out of the woods…_

_The other six teams had had the misfortune of encountering Hakujou. There had been a miniature war in the conference room over that matter. Even Gaara in the chuunin exams had not murdered so many people. They wanted the demon child excluded from the Exams before he ended up killing the entire generation. The shock was almost tangible when Gaara had been one of the few to stand up and say 'no' to the proposal. The fact that he still had authority as Kazekage -His son having announced on his thirtieth birthday that he refused to take the title until he felt it was the right time, making it his first order of business to reinstate his father- meant that he and Naruto combined overpowered the few diplomats there. _

_The intelligence section of the testing took place, excluding another three teams that were either caught cheating, or left themselves. _

_The first tournament that would state who would go into the final exam were won by the Sabaku siblings; surprisingly enough, Retai, Hanna; two of the Gonjou trio; a cloud genin named Goro Riu; and a rock genin named Baishun Hakama. For the first time in the Chuunin Exams, Hakujou's opponent did not die… Mostly because Tadashi had leaped into the ring with Kosuke and had simultaneously went at the redhead from opposite sides. Hakujou's concentration had been broken from his prey to make Tadashi's flame jutsu hit Kosuke -luckily, only his arm-, and Kosuke's blade into Tadashi's side. That day, those three went to the hospital, one of the unconscious, the other cursing, and the youngest bleeding. _

_Tadashi and Kosuke were reprimanded by the elders for interfering, but they never took it to heart. _

_It was now the main tournament… And Shitai and Tadashi were the two most terrified, though they hid it extremely well. They were terrified simply because their brother refused to be and the other five were too relieved. The fights were as followed:_

_Sabaku no Shitai versus Retai, Hanna_

_Gin-Iro Shita (male of the Gonjou trio) versus Goro Riu_

_Sabaku no Tadashi versus Baishun Hakama_

_Sabaku no Lei versus Gonjou, Hakujou_

_Hence, why the sensible two of the triplets were freaking out in their own ways; Shitai was cursing under his breath as his mind zoomed a hundred miles per an hour attempting to find a way to change his brother's fate. Tadashi just stared blankly ahead, his heart beating a strange rhythm that he was almost sure could be defined as 'fear'. Lei was just ecstatic that he was going to have a good battle, seeing as how the person he had gone up against in the first round had been too busy dodging him to actually fight him. _

_Kanaye and Minamaru arrived, Minamaru sneaking up behind his children and smothering each of them with his affection, acting like how Gai and Lee would after hours of not seeing each other. Watching the show, tears had slid down Lee's cheeks at the familiarity of the moment, but he had smiled just as happily, pulling his two children and three grandchildren into his arms simultaneously. Kanaye had accepted it, Minamaru had encouraged it, and all three children had participated in it. _

_They had each told their parents who they would be facing. Apprehension had filled both Kanaye and Minamaru when told that Shitai would go against Hanna, but there wasn't anything Kanaye was going to do about it, and Minamaru only got down so he was eye level with his youngest and told him to play it safe. Tadashi told his parents and Minamaru smiled even as Kanaye nodded his head; they were certain that Tadashi would win. Lei almost shouted with absolute glee who he would be facing. Minamaru had been struck pale and Kanaye looked as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. Gaara had sent them news of the jinchuuraki and how he ruthlessly handled the first tests. _

_For three days after that, Lei was not seen alone… Never… Ever. _

_Aya and Kouga had a shouting match, but nothing could be deciphered from it except that Kouga went dead silent afterwards and both Inuzuka children disappeared for several hours in separate directions. At the end of that time, Aya reappeared with Oki and Hitori, exhausted and trembling for some reason; Kouga reentered society with Koi and Makato on each side of him, looking distant. _

_Shitai watched like a hawk. Kiba asked his children what the hell had gotten into them, taken a sniff from Aya's direction, and had promptly attacked Hitori. Five minutes later, Shino took pity on his lover and assisted him out of his losing battle. Whatever the matter was that had started that spontaneous fight, it was clear that Hitori was not ashamed of it, and only Aya seemed pissed. _

_All these events lead to this very day… The day that Gaara sat next to Naruto in the highest up stands with Lee by his side and Kanaye and Minamaru on his other side. Sasuke, no longer absent, occupied the spot to the right of Naruto with their son and Shikamaru and Neji standing behind the kage. _

_It all came down to this very moment… _

_Finally, after the long minutes of suspense and tension, the first battle began._

_Sabaku no Shitai versus Retai, Hanna_

_Commence!_

His face was blank as he watched the pitiful girl pose herself, looking at him with burning hatred in her eyes. He would have laughed -had he thought it was worth laughing at a whore-, that she clearly thought she could take him on.

He stood in the center of the open stadium, arms limp at his side and gourd of white sand attached snuggly to his back. He waited for two minutes after it was announced that they could begin, and then gave a mocking sigh as she continued to just stand there, looking rather like she was trying to imitate one of the stone cold raged expressions on the faces of the kages on the side of the mountain.

"Well… I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I thought that you were planning on going first."

Promptly, she was swept off her feet before it ever occurred to her that the cork had popped off of Shitai's gourd and white sand was coming straight at her. She performed whatever back flip, front flip, somersault, full body twist, and whatever maneuver was needed to avoid being hit again. She had finally met a Sensei that had been able to draw her true potential out of hiding, and it showed. After three minutes of playing 'Dodge this!', she was close enough that she sliced at him. He wasn't perturbed at her close range, merely taking a slow step back from the sluggish movement. Her Sensei had done a wonderful job, true… Yet, something told him that her Sensei had only had time to teach her enough defense before she thought she knew it all and was once more fooled into believing that she was more than ready for the exams. That seemed partly true… Seeing as how she had made it this far for the first time.

In this case, she was going to be proven painfully wrong.

His movements flowed, his hand to his belt, his palm to the kunai, and the kunai straight at Hanna. It was her luck that he was aiming for her shoulder. He wanted to kill her… Oh, yes, very much so… but he wanted to have a little fun before he ended the game.

Despite this, she only got faster. Her offense sucked, but that could be ignored if she was going at such a speed that he couldn't even see her. This was where training with his grandmother and Lei came into play. He stopped relying on sight, and only allowed instinct to draw on his environment. She may be fast, but he was just as much so. It was at the fifth go around, however, when he knew, without even seeing her, that she had just made some stupid mistake that was most likely going to end up being something that could hurt him. He was right.

He didn't see it happen, but the small stone that had been sticking up out of the ground got kicked clear across the stadium and, for just that moment in which he saw her falling, she was visible. Then she wasn't, and his timing was off by a third of second because of the underestimating her ability to pick up just as much speed with the sudden predicament. Most that were off by a third of second ended up dead… He merely ended up with a few dozen kunuichi (and a few men) in the audience looking at him with rape in their eyes.

With a resounding 'RIIIIIP!', his shirt had gotten torn straight down the middle as he leaped backwards, the kunai just missed his skin. There was a moment where she stared blankly down at his chest… And then began screaming like a banshee.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?!? ARE YOU ON STEROIDS!?!?"

She was, simply to say, horrified… Mostly because she was staring at an 11 year old that was better eye candy than even some jounin she had seen shirtless. The horror kept her so still, Shitai almost felt bad for tripping her up by using a tendril of sand and then throwing her so she landed with a 'CRACK!' against the stadium wall that had been almost 100 or so feet behind her. Yet again, the keyword was 'almost'… Hell, not even quite.

"No… This is all natural."

He scowled as the torn shirt drooped off of his shoulder, only held up by his arms still being in the sleeves and the gourd. True, it was similar to wearing a button up shirt with all the buttons undone, but it was simply pointless in this situation. So, he took a kunai out, cut the sleeves, and ripped it off. He tucked it behind himself between his body and gourd for safe keeping. It was his favorite shirt. Besides, his mom could fix that up in a second or so.

Hanna stood up with a groan, making the mistake of looking at Shitai again, and looked away with a blush. She was 16 for shit's sake!… Damn, though! He sure didn't _look _11.

He wasn't slender, but muscled well enough that it showed but didn't interfere. Already, he had grown a four-pack, and they looked rock hard from where she stood. And she stood a _long_ ways off. She thought about other builds she had seen on men that she had slept with -there being three: one that had been her Sensei two years ago, the second was a beautiful man she had came across some months ago who had said he wanted her, and Kouga… None of them compared, simply because they had been smooth and lithe…

This was just stupid!

She shot to her feet, moving to pick up high speed again, and then fell on her knee with a cry of pain. The throw had somehow shattered the bones of her ankle and she hadn't noticed until she had stood… Somehow… Though she was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that that had been the ankle she had been thrown by.

She glared at the rainbow haired boy across the distance that stood between them. He only raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"What? Are you incapable of sneaking up on me now?"

The smirk seemed to form slowly on his face, like a tease.

"I apologize…"

It was clear by his tone that he didn't. Sand rose out of the ground around her and encased her body, holding onto her like a squeezing fist.

"I believe you touched something that belonged to me… And I hear that you did so with negligent care…"

He rose a fist before himself, his fingers slowly twitching back into the palm.

"That is simply unacceptable."

She wheezed, choked off cries of pain escaping her throat.

In the stands, watching this, Lee was already balanced on the rail, ready to interfere. He loved his grandson too much to let him do this. However, that was far as he got.

In the same moment Shitai's hand formed a fist, a sudden shock made him lose concentration. Hanna fell to the ground, unconscious and bleeding profusely with possibly a large amount of broken bones, and Shitai snarled. He turned golden eyes on the man holding him from behind.

"Why…"

He began coldly, his skin losing color at an increasingly fast rate.

"is it my own family that constantly stops me from ending her whoring life?"

Instead of answering, his 'mother' wrapped his arms more tightly around his body, whispering into his ear sweet nothings. It wasn't even the words he said, but just the tone of them; the soft hum and whisper of each syllable that went straight through Shitai's skin and stroked his heart and soul.

"Just let it go, honey… She has never been worth your attention… Even your hatred…"

That was basically all he caught of what his 'mother' said. Then, he just sniffed indignantly, color returning to his skin as he looked at Minamaru with blue-green eyes.

"And if I want to hate her?"

Amethyst eyes looked sadly down at him.

"Then you will never be ready to become kazekage… Because Suna needs a leader willing to think for them, not a selfish boy thinking with rage and hate."

Those words struck him hard enough that he started, blinking slowly at his mom's hushed insight. Then his face was blank. He stood from his mother's hold and began his way out of the arena. It was announced in a loud enough voice for everyone gathered around the stadium to hear that Shitai was winner, if not in a slightly annoyed tone.

There were two homicidal kids at the stadium… and both of them got distracted by affection. The announcer rolled his eyes. Didn't he have the most amazing job… He got to watch close up as the would-be-murderer got glomped.

* * *

The fight between Gin-Iro and Riu was short lived and filled with bloodshed. For acting like a coward around the jinchuuraki, Gin-Iro stood fearlessly and with sick enjoyment before the man who was self mutating himself in order to swig a tail of twisted flesh at the other boy to hold him down as his arms tore apart from each other to form was looked to be a web. Somehow, Riu had managed to move his entire body, minus his skeleton frame, in order to defeat Gin-Iro… And ended up failing with almost too much ease. He fell to the ground a broken and drowned creature, hardly recognizable anymore to the attractive raven that had entered the ring with brimming confidence. He now rested on the muddied ground, swollen and blue and his eyes gone form his skull.

The fight went to Gin-Iro, and then he was yet again nothing but a silent observer, lowering his eyes to the dry ground he stood on with a shy expression on his face as if the announcer had just praised him… Which was exactly what he had not done.

It was now a proven fact that this was the bloodiest chuunin exams Konoha had ever seen… and they had yet to see Hakujou versus Lei.

With a formal bow, Gin-Iro smiled pleasantly before turning his back on the corpse, trotting back to the jinchuuraki's side to stand fearfully behind the redhead. Hakujou didn't even blink, standing straight and prone in an all too familiar pose of an altogether different redhead.

The tension could have been cut with a knife…

_

* * *

_

"I'm ready to see what you're hiding under all of those clothes…"

Tadashi showed no emotion, eve as he felt panic, as the woman smiled and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

He would have fought back… Except he was losing blood at an increasingly fast rate, graying his vision around the edges. It had been a very dramatic fight, that was certain. The war that had commenced between them had been fast, furious, and bloody. Just as she was covered in gaping wounds and burn marks, weapons continued to dig into him, spilling even more blood and making life more difficult to hold onto.

She was good… and smart too… She had been able to distract him for that 1/5 of a second so she could stab in the back… literally… twice… with scythes.

They remained there too. Weighing down on his weakening body. Riu may not have had enough time to be saved, but he knew -if it came down to him needed assistance- his family would step in. He would lose, of course, and that would possibly be the second record created. Honestly, how many people rushed into a one on one war to push two children apart in order to save their lives?… This would be the third time, if it came down to that.

"My god! Did you get mauled by a bear?"

His slender body was a web of scars. The pearl shade of his skin was countered by the off color of each never-leaving memory. His shirt hung to his back by way of the scythes, the girl looking down at him with both disgust and horror.

In the stands, there was a blush on Keiji's face, marveling at the expanse of skin through one eye. He had to sit down, of course… Seeing as how he had been forced to practically mutilate his own body in the last exam. He… had originally had a good stand against the jinchuuraki. Unlike everyone else, he had been able to see the chakra stings… except he had underestimated the number of them… or how fast they could attach themselves. He had lasted three minutes before he had been captured the web of pain.

Kosuke stood by him, his face twisted into a growling scowl. Yeah, he had came to the conclusion that he would be sharing the sight of Tadashi's body with Keiji… but this was fuckin' ridiculous. Uchihas were known for getting jealous easily… and this was just calling for him to go on a mass murder. As if sensing that, the one hand Keiji was able to move freely snapped up and grabbed his wrist.

"Tadashi can not finish his fight if you go about killing people… I would rather he finish this with the skill we know he has than have to help in cleaning up your mess."

It was no longer the lovesick and childish tone he used when with Tadashi, but one very similar to his father's. He acted like a mother hen with ADHD whenever the Sabaku was near, but he truly wasn't. He was the son of Neji Hyuuga, prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. His mother was the weapons mistress. And, if all went smoothly, the next Hyuuga clan leader, seeing as how no scar had been placed on his forehead for this case.

Keiji turned to him with a pleasant smile on his still smooth face, bruises and scratches having faded away with the first healing.

"Now, sit down, _koibito_… I want to watch our _airashii-ai_ kick butt!"

The second part was spoken in the love stricken tone he knew only too well. His jaw twitched at the nickname.

He watched with pride as Tadashi stood suddenly to his feet, startling the girl long enough that the war seemed to begin all over again. After seven minutes of intense fighting, Tadashi collapsed only a minute after being announced the victor.

He was just waiting for someone to comment on how the grandson of the 'Great and Powerful Kazekage' had just barely gotten out alive after a fight with a girl. He seriously was.

Just so he could direct them in Aya's direction.

"Keiji… Why did you call me that?"

He wanted to follow the healing nin who were carrying Tadashi away, but he refrained himself. It was more than likely that Tadashi would think it a waste of time if they stood there staring at him till he woke up, so he stayed where he was. It was more than likely that he would want them to stay and watched the final match.

Keiji smiled, giving light as to what his father would look like if could ever let go of that insufferable pride of his.

"Because… I felt like it…"

Kosuke's eyebrow shot up. Keiji made a whining sound in the back of his throat.

"It's not happening for a few years more, I know… But if I have the urge to call you something, I _will _call you something… jackass…"

He yelped when Kosuke hit him soundly on his shoulder… right where he had dragged a kunai deeply into the flesh.

"Really, _really_ big jackass…"

Kosuke smirked, though the emotion didn't reach his eyes, still watching the exit Tadashi had been taken out of.

"Not quite… It's not my _ass_ that's really, really big."

Keiji choked, looking away and putting his splinted hand to his face. The head doctor at the hospital had told him that he should be no different from before the exam in a few months or so as long as he kept doing his exercises. There would be scars, but not that many of them seeing as how only three of them remained.

"What's really, really big?"

"Nothing!"

Keiji squeaked, back going suddenly ramrod straight as his heart seemed to gasp in his chest.

Of course it had to be little Lei that heard the sexual innuendo… It was _always_ him.

Behind them, Lei pouted, yet again upset about being excluded. The pout instantly disappeared as his name was called into the ring along with the jinchuuraki's.

"YES!! It's my time to shine!"

He threw his arms around Kosuke's neck and pulled him into a tight hug, than repeated the action with Tadashi, though with greater care. Tadashi returned it the best he could by putting his uninjured hand to Lei's forearm, smiling softly.

"Wish me luck!"

"I didn't know you needed that…"

Lei blushed pleasantly at Tadashi's comment.

In the next moment, he disappeared over the side of the stadium wall, dropping down forty feet. The first thing he did upon landing?

He disappeared in a puff of kicked up soil and wildly swaying grass, the announcer's mouth only partially open as he made to commence the exam.

Hakujou released a sudden outburst of air, his eyes widening impossibly in their sockets, as he just barely caught himself from falling down on his ass, his arms flung away from his body.

"WISH YOU LUCK!"

Then Lei was no longer hugging the redhead around the waist, back where he had originally been. There was a dead silence throughout the entire stadium -which made the sound of skin meeting flesh explosive as Shitai slapped his hand to his forehead and cursed loudly.-, then the announcer got over it.

"Sabaku no Lei versus Hakujou Gonjou! COMMENCE!"

* * *

Lei took a deep breath, his body swaying somewhat backwards,- and then was gone. He moved too fast to be seen, seeming as if he were racing the wind.

Hakujou's eyes narrowed on the spot where the imbecile _had_ stood. He had defeated a Hyuuga… how difficult could it be to defeat an idiotic speed racer?

As he flew thirty feet to his right, his breath expelling from his chest in a loud gasp, he came to the conclusion that it could be a bit more challenging.

The moment his hand touched the ground, he placed his palms flat to the ground and flipped himself quickly. The ground where he would have landed erupted in a mound of rubble and dirt.

Instead of feeling fear, having to dodge an advisory that he could not even see for the speed the other was moving at, he felt _exhilarated_. Finally, play time was over.

He smiled a deadly smile full of promised tortures as he caught just a flash of sigh of his opponent. Oooh… another mistake like that, and the boy was done for…

The moment after that, he crashed into the ground, rock and soil flying up as his body was shoved through it. Instead of yelling out in surprise and pain, he laughed.

So… this was how the new game was played?

"What are the prizes…"

His teasing voice startled the zooming Lei, who had made 97 laps around the entire stadium ground in the time the words were said. He hadn't been able to catch the words -what with how the wind whistled so loudly- -… He smiled happily, stopping his speeding long enough to pull the fan off of his back and flip it open.

"Awww… Stopping so soon?"

Now that he had heard it loud and clear… a lot louder than it should have been for someone who had been across the stadium from - HOLY CRAP, HE WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT!!

In his surprise, he rammed his fan right into the jinchuuraki, thinking the wind created would throw the redhead away from him long enough to try something. The frame of it was caught in Hakujou's hand before it could dispel air, putting his face an inch from Lei's with a dancing light in his eyes.

"This is hardly fun… I thought you were going to last a few minutes more than the rest, what with you plowing me into the ground like seed."

Lei couldn't stop himself; he smiled widely, meeting the other's eyes with a burning flame in his own.

"Oh, it's about to be too fun to handle!"

He went to move his body into position to open a new jutsu he had created -_doragon kokyuu_- and… couldn't…

He could have hit himself. He had given the other too much time to contain him. Except, quite sadly, there was no possibly way to do that.

"Oh?… It doesn't seem like it…"

Lei pouted sadly down at his feet… then had an epiphany. He could move his head! That must meant that Hakujou was only controlling his arms and legs, seeing as how, when he tried, he was able to move every other muscle. It was cool that Hakujou could be so specific… and so very wonderful.

'_Hey, when someone tells you to kiss their ass…'_

He craned his neck as far forward as he could, the jinchuuraki still strangely close to him.

'_Kiss their lips and tell them it's the same damn thing.'_

For the second time in that fight, Hakujou lost his mental balance, blinking stupidly for a second as the younger boy continued to hold their lips together. He felt almost entirely frozen from the tip of his head to the bottom of his toes… This was just…

Too strange.

And then it was painful. As with before, the air was ripped painfully from his lungs, and then he realized that it was also his skin that had been painfully ripped through as well.

He didn't scream as he went flying at such a speed that he hit the wall opposite with a resounding crash and falling of debris, he simply couldn't. He had stopped screaming when he had first began killing. It was just useless, as well as ironic when he was the one who did it. He was the guy that made others mutilate themselves… so he didn't screams. As a matter of fact, he didn't move. Instead, he looked down at himself, his entire mind fazed as he saw the long and bleeding scratches and wounds that had been created by the high velocity winds. There was a ringing in his ears and his vision was graying around the edges…

Even knowing all of this, he still caught his opponent's last words.

They were his last because he was _not_ going to go down alone.

Lei waved wildly up at Shitai, beaming with pride even in the startling silence about him.

"I DID IT, LITTLE BROTHER!!! I TOOK YOUR ADVICE AND I BEAT HIM!!!"

His smile disappeared as he slapped one hand over his heart, feeling the beat of it become painfully unsteady.

"As if it would be that easy…"

He dropped to his knees, his vision darkening. He looked out of the side of his obsidian eyes at his fallen opponent. Blood red eyes stared back at him… curiously blank.

"Lucky for you…"

Even as his eyes slid shut against his will, he could feel his heart somewhat regaining it's true beat.

"I feel like letting you live…"

His last conscious sense was his heart beating at it's normal rhythm, and hearing his little brother shout obscenities into the stadium…

* * *

It took two minutes before he stood to his feet, appearing unharmed. His blood red eyes watched over the gurney carrying the boy out.

… What a naïve idiot…

He turned his back on it and calmly walked out of the exit. He had been left on the ground, the healing nin untrusting of him. He didn't blame them; he would have been overly cautious as well if faced with someone of his sorts.

He was outside of Konoha borders moments later, walking unhurriedly back to his own country. There was a flash, and then Gin-Iro was walking quietly behind him.

"H-Hakujou… Do… Don't you remember what we- uh… c-came here…"

"I know what we came here for. Unfortunately for the our _beloved _country, there will not be such bloodshed right now."

The mocking was clear in his voice. Gin-Iro scoffed, but kept his mouth shut about it.

"Shouldn't we- uh… uh-uhm…"

"Wait to hear if we graduated? Wait for the other member? They will send note to us if we succeeded. She can catch up to us."

"Why…"

Hakujou's eyes flickered to stare at him blankly, making him whimper as he almost touched his forehead to the ground in hopes of placating his companion, still walking at the same time.

Hakujou scowled at the show of cowardice. He had never even harmed Gin-Iro… never. Gin-Iro had been as confident and self-reliant as a predator before he had realized that Hakujou was able to make him kill himself. After learning that -Hakujou deciding to protect his only friend from his abusive father- he was a demon, Gin-Iro had taken to acting like a beaten puppy.

It was pathetic and annoying.

That boy, however… An inch from his face and he had dared to grin as if they truly were playing a game instead of entertaining hundreds of people by fighting each other like rabid animals. And _then _he had dared to-…

He whispered his tongue over his lips, his eyes narrowed in thought, and scowled.

He had dared to eat something garlic and then kiss him, a distraction method, he knew… He wished it could have been ramen…

He hated _ramen_.

* * *

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE CHUUNIN EXAMS ARE OVAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER SHALL I BOTHER WITH IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, in case anyone wants to know… I have been told by ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart that she plans to continue this story after I finish it… Keep that in mind ladies and gents. There was something else I wanted to say… What was it?… … … I'll figure it out later. The next chapter is going to be very short… seeing as how I don't feel like writing anymore today (I was woken up around three because my mom forgot her house keys and couldn't get back to sleep after that. I started writing this then and than worked on it off and on over the pass nine hours.), but I do want to post the valentine chapter on time, I will give it a shot.

lover

lovable-love

dragon breath


	89. Triplets Birthday

Lei was almost squealing with joy as he ran down the streets of Suna, his red head band holding his bangs out of his eyes as he dashed around yet another corner.

"IT'S OUR SWEET SIXTEEN!!!!! BIG BROTHER!!! LITTLE BROTHER!!! WE'RE SIXTEEN!!!!!!!"

Except he didn't seem capable of finding them anywhere.

_Five years ago, he had failed the chuunin exams because of his sloppy performance against the jinchuuraki and because of his loss. Of course, he had graduated the exams the next year, but he had still been pretty sad. They were right; he had gotten so cocky after the first few hits… Apparently, it was a miracle that the redhead hadn't killed him… Lei was forever grateful for that… He never would have been able to live with it if he died and left his family behind! Two years ago, Konoha and Suna had just learned a few weeks before, a new power had risen in the hidden village of the Mist, making the safest ever in years for the shinobi to lift their heads out of the ground and step outside. Apparently, there was still some prejudice, but the ninja were once more seeing missions. He had heard rumors that it was because of the new kage that had taken order. No one knew who it was, mostly because of just how recently that news had reached them. Clearly, the renewed village of the Mist was not ready to rise out of the shadows… Or hadn't been up until a few days ago. He still hadn't met the mizukage yet, but his grand pappy and Naruto had been in the conference room with him ever since his arrival the week before._

"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!?!?!?!?"

_Five years ago, three months after the chuunin exams concluded, the letter stating Gai's departure to death had been received. His grand mammy had never acted truly right after that, though he had healed with time. He held onto each of them tighter, telling them every time he came across them that he loved them and that they should live their lives to the fullest -no-, to bursting! He had moments where he spaced out, a sadness drawing his face down. Everyone had been frightened the first year of what his grand mammy would do in his anguish, but he had made it through with the rest of them. The day they had arrived in Konoha after the news, the former team Gai had disappeared for hours upon hours. No one went in search of them, not even his mommy. It had taken three days before they reappeared, and even Neji's eyes appeared an irritated red. For months, his grand mammy had clung to his parents and his grand pappy as if death was just a tenth of an inch from them all. His smile had been scarce for so long after that… Up until Makato and Koi had stood together in the middle of the street after a strangely explosive fight about one thing or another and had 'accidentally' admitted their love for each other. When that had made his grand mammy ecstatic, his father had disappeared for a few minutes before coming back -dragging Aya by the collar of her shirt and talking quietly with Hitori meanwhile- and had dropped them before his happily smiling grand mammy and demanded that they tell him. That day, it had became an open truth that Hitori and Aya were in a relationship, and had been for years. His mommy had been horrified that something like that had went unnoticed for so long! From that day on, his grand mammy's smile wasn't so rare. A week later, his laughter was heard as his grand pappy nuzzled his neck in the kitchen. He still looked haunted sometimes; every once in a while, he would forget every few nights to go to sleep as he reminisced -hence, the bags that would appear under his oblivious eyes-, but he was now fully returned to them. He would do his usually goofy antics and challenge every other being he came across and acting like the grand mammy that had been before Gai had died. Every once in a while, Kakashi and his grand mammy would still be seen over Gai's memorial, not saying a word to each other as they silently remembered. _

"COME ON!!! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!!!!!!"

He dashed up the side of a civilian home, his eyebrows drawn together in a rare show of irritation and his arms flung behind himself as he sped throughout the whole village… for the _seventh _time in _a half an hour_.

_Last month had been Valentine's day, and Lei had given his entire family a heart made out of frozen wind… Many people wanted to ask how he had frozen air, but he told them it was a secret. Aside from that, Tadashi was kidnapped by an ecstatic Keiji -seeing as they were in Konoha- and a grumbling Kosuke had followed after. Kouga had mysteriously disappeared… and had then reappeared some hour after midnight looking confused, happily molested, and very murderous. He had no idea who his offender had been -seeing as how he had been bound, blinded, and gagged-, but he planned on killing the son of bitch. No, he hadn't been raped, he admitted with a blush, but the offender had licked melted chocolate off of his entire body. That had lead to Aya laughing her ass off, abandoning the killer instinct that had enveloped her moments before. His mommy had looked pointedly to his little brother, and had then whined a long 'Why can't my children be normal!?!?' under his breath so only the person closest to him could hear it… which had been Lei. When Kouga had tried to sniff himself in order to track his offender down by smell, he had found that his offender may be just a little smarter than to leave behind a scent… because he had been unable to find any. His mommy and daddy had been stuck at the hip for the entire day, his rainbow haired mommy attaching hearts and other lovey dovey symbols to his daddy as they walked along and his daddy bearing with it. His grand mammy and grand pappy had stayed in Suna. When they returned, nonetheless, they could tell what had gone on. There was a small gourd of sand attached to a length of leather now tied around his grand mammy's throat. Strangely enough… There was now a sand engraved scar over his grand mammy's heart… as he had found out by accident a few days after their return. Gaara no Dake__: Only Gaara's._

He was almost positive by this point that they didn't want to be found. Keiji and Kosuke had gotten vacation time to come down to Suna and had arrived two days ago, just for their sweet 16... Except Lei was pretty sure they were mostly thinking about Tadashi, despite Keiji getting all three of them a gift. He had woken up with the three gone from the house, and Shitai had been packing up necessities. Lei had asked where he was going, even though he was pretty sure his younger brother wasn't going to tell him. He'd been right.

So now, a few hours after midday, meaning that everyone was finally getting back out on the streets to go about their lives, Lei collapsed onto the ground, his eyes watery as his bottom lip trembled.

It was their sweet 16... So where were his brothers so they could all celebrate it… _together_!

He sniffled pathetically as he rubbed futilely at one obsidian eye. The tears continued to fall.

"Why are you crying?"

The voice was smooth and emotionless voice made him blink… Think about it… and then his eyes shot up, surprise on his face.

Red hair had grown somewhat, though it still didn't reach his shoulders. His blood red eyes studied him from his high stance, his white robe with the green undergarment flaunting his status. He was tall and pale, and turquoise surrounded his eyes, narrowing into a trickle of blue that went down his cheeks and ended at each jaw. He held his hat of office in one hand and the other was limply by his side.

"I remember smiling… and a lot of it. Why are you crying like a fool in the middle of the street?"

"Haku… jou?"

Lei felt he needed to confirm. The other's red eyebrow twitched.

"Who else would I be?"

"HAKUJOU!!!"

With no thought about it, he threw himself at the redhead, landing against his chest where he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and locks ankles around his waist.

"It's been years!"

Hakujou, for his part, seemed to be expecting this. How he did after only being surprised by Lei twice by similar antics was not quite certain.

"We met once… and that was to kill each other."

"It's been years!"

Hakujou sighed, allowing the green clad boy to cling to him. It took two minutes before Lei pulled away far enough to pout up at him, eyes widening into a look of pure innocence.

"Did you get me a present?"

Hakujou's eyebrow rose.

"I'm sorry?"

"Today's my sweet sixteen!!"

To show the redhead this, he threw his arms out wide. In effect, Hakujou's left arm went about his waist to stop him from falling backwards as his arms began to flail wildly.

"Is it now?"

"YEAH!!"

Hakujou blinked, staring at him in consideration.

"I guess… I could return a favor…"

Lei tilted his head curiously.

"What favor?-…"

His face seemed to be permanently red as Hakujou very gently separated their lips, ending the soft assault. His face remained blank as he released the now shocked numb body of Lei to slide to the ground.

"Have a happy birthday, Lei."

He turned to leave, his white robe fluttering a bit as sand swished beneath his feet, and never even took a complete step. A weight crashed into his side, one that wasn't expecting, but was prepared for, and held him in thin arms. His head twisted towards the attack, not on offense seeing as how he knew who had done it, and was promptly startled enough that he lost the footing he had just been gaining in order to keep standing.

There was a spray of sand as he landed on the sand, his turquoise ringed eyes becoming wide with surprise. Regardless, Lei just adjusted his position, now sitting on Hakujou's belly to make it easier. With all the inexperience that came from being… well, inexperienced, he pushed his lips against Hakujou's, mashing their lips together with his eyes tightly shut and his face a burning red color.

Hakujou blinked -his mouth gaping open slightly- and then took control. He wrapped one hand in Lei's raven hair, twisting the angle of the younger's head, and teased Lei's lips apart in a beg for entrance. Once he had it, he explored every crevice he could reach, a growl coming up from the back of his throat as Lei moaned into his mouth.

An invasion of chakra made him separate their lips again, a red hue of lust on his cheeks as he panted subtly, tilting his head back so he could see the standing kage looking down at them blankly.

"Kazekage-sama."

Hakujou said with no shame nor embarrassment, his one hand still tangled in Lei's hair as the younger boy squeaked in surprise. From beside the kazekage, Lee was a solid red, sputtering and merely flabbergasted by what he was seeing. His braid flowed down his back, reaching his tailbone. He was officially two inches shorter than his husband.

"I have no say in what my grandson does."

Lei and Lee were having a… 'game'… of who could look away from the other fastest. They would meet eyes, mouths gaping open (Lee torn between saying something encouraging and screaming when had this happened; Lei not at all certain of what he wanted to say… because he was _not _sorry.), and then turned away. Hakujou continued to fearlessly hold the kazekage's stare.

"However…"

His blue-green eyes didn't change at all as Hakujou never broke gazes with him, even as he almost flowed to his feet with Lei held securely with one arm.

"What his… mother… shall do to you if you harm him is also out of my control."

He turned his back on the two teenagers.

"Our next conference in a hour. My son will be ruling over it… Lee, leave them be."

Lee continued to open and close his mouth like a fish, even as he walked backwards, his hand held by the feared and respected kazekage. It took another moment before his eyes filled with tears and he did the 'good guy pose'.

"I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, LEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Alas, he disappeared in a mist of sand that swallowed both him and the kazekage.

Hakujou blinked… stared… and then smirked as he met Lei's still mollified gaze.

"What else did you have in mind for your… sweet sixteen?"

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?!?! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?!?!"

Kouga struggled futilely against the bonds holding him down onto the bed. He could smell the fabric softener on the soft sheets, could smell the scents of the outside, and could tell by the smells wafting about the room that he was in an apartment room that had possibly not been rented in a few days; possibly an expansive room, seeing as how he didn't smell anything unpleasant and it all smelled rather good to his senses.

What he couldn't smell was his kidnapper.

"THIS IS THE FUCKING SECOND TIME!"

There was a blindfold over his eyes and he couldn't help but pant, a red flush over his face.

There was another slurp, a nip, and he came into his kidnapper's mouth. He whimpered, wanting to continue his pointless fighting, but fell limp against the bed anyway.

Like always, his capturer didn't speak, but at least he hadn't gagged him.

Something cold and melting dropped onto his right nipple, making him gasp. Judging by how it smelled and felt, the pervert had just put some ice cream on him.

"You're sick."

He thought he heard a chuckle, but he wasn't so certain. He shivered with the frozen treat on his sensitive nipples, than had to bite his bottom lip as his offender's tongue lapped at it till it came to his flesh, than began to tease it using his very skilled mouth.

What had to be chocolate syrup was squirted on him from his collarbone down to his hip bones. He cried out as every bit of it was sucked from his body.

"Wh-who a-are… you-ou!?"

His whole entire body arched at a particularly sharp nip on his hip bone. This time, he _knew_ he heard a snicker…

And that snicker sounded awfully familiar.

"Sh-Sh- AH!"

His hips bucked as the other's skilled tongue teased his ass hole, hands kneading the cheeks. The other pulled his mouth away for a moment -making Kouga whimper- and then he caught the unmistakable scent of whipped cream.

"OH KAMI!!!!!!!"

The tongue returned, catching all the whipped cream it was able to reach. When his tongue couldn't reach any further up his ass for the elusive treat, he heard his captor growl.

He felt the other shift on the bed, his legs were nudged further apart. That made him growl, showing his canines to his captor as he began thrash about his lower body to make access more difficult.

"Hell no!"

The other paused -a finger tapped patiently against his thigh- until he finally calmed down somewhat, gasping somewhat at the exertion. Had he not felt so hot, inside and out, he would have been able to keep the fight up longer.

"What makes you deny me now?"

He couldn't help but smirk. He _knew_ it.

"Well, Shitai, you sex crazed little punk. One, I'm older… Four years older. Two, this is technically rape 'cause I never said anything about wanting it and I've been kidnapped for both occasions…"

"… And?"

His smirk grew wider.

"And you've never kissed me, red."

His captor snickered.

"Of course, whatever was I thinking?"

He screamed into the redhead's mouth as he was impaled on the other's length. It wasn't entirely of pain, pleasure mixed in, but it would have alarmed anyone within a few yards of the room… Luckily, there was no one that near.

They had a bloody fight with their tongues and teeth and lips as Shitai allowed him to adjust at first and then began to rock into his body.

"You say you're older…"

Shitai's deep voice growled.

"But your body's slender like a woman's!"

"Fuck you!"

"Oh, I am…"

His teeth bit deeply into the junction of Kouga's shoulder, causing the other to almost howl in pleasure. After all, his family was -_basically_- half dog.

"And I'm loving it."

Those words, growled against his throat, Shitai rocking into his body, and all of his senses heightened in replacement of not being able to see, made him fall over the edge, crying out as he did so. With a snarl, Shitai followed him, unable to last with his lover's walls squeezing him so tightly.

He fell to Kouga's side, shuddering in orgasm as Kouga continued to pant and whimper. Languidly, he untied Kouga and removed the blind. Opaque eyes immediately drilled into his own.

"You're an ass."

Shitai rose one eyebrow lazily.

"Oh, am I?"

He wrapped one arm around Kouga's shoulders and pulled the raven's head onto his chest. The Inuzuka gave no fight as he growled.

"Yeah… I had a present for you, then you went and kidnapped me! You're not getting your gift now."

Shitai smiled, for the first time ever, not something deadly or mocking.

"I'm fine with that…"

Kouga closed his eyes.

"Don't know what the hell you were thinking, deciding that you could get away with shit like this… You'd better be happy I don't report you for rape, or else you can throw away those plans on becoming kazekage!"

"Hhhmm… Ecstatic…"

He petted his hair.

"Now go to sleep… I'm tired."

"Well, I'm sore!"

"Well, Aren't I sorry for your ass."

"You're a bastard !"

"And you sound like your sister… You must love me."

With a blush across his cheeks, Kouga turned his back on him, leaving it to Shitai to turn onto his side and wrap his arms around his fuming lover.

"I'm topping tomorrow."

That made Shitai laugh.

* * *

"You're beautiful, _airashii-ai_… So beautiful…"

"Fucking amazing."

Tadashi continued to pant as he twisted his body from one side to the other, his face red with lust and passion, his lips bruised, and his eyes near crazed.

"B-both of you, g-go-OH!… DIE!!"

Keiji tried to pout, but his eyes were too filled with desire, love, and humor to fulfill the fake emotion and his mouth a bit too preoccupied.

He tugged against at Tadashi's length, suckling the head of it as he was careful to keep his teeth from touching the sensitive flesh. His tongue lapped at the underside, going upwards to push against the leaking slit. Tadashi's screamed. From behind Tadashi, Kosuke smirked, taking one hand from Tadashi's hip to stroke Keiji's wild hair.

"Both doing so good…"

He gave a particularly forceful shove upwards, hitting Tadashi's pleasure spot head on. Tadashi cried out, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes; Keiji simultaneously whimpered, the movement having made Keiji's member slip further down his throat than he had meant for it to go. Regardless, he swallowed around it, his lilac eyes watching Tadashi closely and with awe.

"Ke- Keiji!… Move!"

Keiji whimpered, but did as Kosuke demanded, folding himself back on his knees so Kosuke could allow Tadashi to fall onto his hands and knees. With that accomplished, their end came in mere moments, Kosuke able to use more force. He cursed as Tadashi's orgasm caused his tunnels to squeeze him for everything he was worth.

Panting and sweating profusely, Kosuke allowed himself to slide off of Tadashi to rest beside him, pulling Tadashi down with him. Keiji went with curiosity, crawling over the two to where their cum coated lengths laid. He kissed Tadashi's length, causing the youngest to groan, and then engulfed Kosuke's, sucking on the wet member. Kosuke took a sharp intake of breath, his hips twitching into Keiji's mouth.

It tasted… _really_ good.

"Keiji… come up here."

Keiji released Kosuke's length and did as Tadashi commanded, crawling up between them to where Tadashi turned around so he could wrap one arm around Tadashi's neck and pull him down, pressing his lips to the Hyuuga's in the same moment that Kosuke knelt up, grabbing Tadashi's hips and pulling them towards himself.

Tadashi's hole was still stretched from their first round -this being their second, their first having consisted of all three of them participating (Kosuke in Keiji, Keiji in Tadashi)-, so it took nothing more than slipping his yet again swollen length into the long haired boy. Keiji gasped into Tadashi's mouth, his arms giving out on him so that his face met the blankets. Fingers touched his chin, tilting his face towards Tadashi. He looked at the youngest with pleasure glazed eyes, his mouth gaping and shutting with each thrust. He, unlike Tadashi, was not a screamer… or a curser like Kosuke.

He couldn't help but blush at the rare smile that came across Tadashi's face.

"Oh… That is beautiful…"

He whimpered, watching as Kosuke leaned over his body to kiss Tadashi's lips, pushing him into Keiji at a different angle.

He cried out, just a soft whimpering sound.

"Ohhh… I love… oh, both of you… so, so much…"

Kosuke smirked even as he cursed under his breath, feeling Tadashi's flesh ripple around his length. Tadashi kissed Keiji again, tangling their tongues together, even as Kosuke nipped Keiji's back.

"We know, Keiji…"

"Oooh… Harder, _Koibito!"_

Tadashi smiled, even as Kosuke growled, a snarl on his lips as he grew on the tempo. Tangling a hand in Keiji's hair, Tadashi pushed his length into the Hyuuga's mouth once more.

He could not remember ever having a better birthday.

* * *

… Well… Don't you love birthdays? Every single one of them was smutty. Anywho, I guess this is my apology for missing Valentine's day and how sucky the last chapter was. Anywho… Reviews show you love the story, people, keep that in mind. I feel proud of this chapter!


	90. End That Never Truly Ends

_After the eighteenth birthday of the triplets, a few different happenings occurred. Once the hidden village in the leaf and the hidden village in the sand decided that the hidden village in the mist was no longer a death sentence, they formed an alliance. Because of the… 'show'… they had seen between the mizukage and Lei, Lei had been sent with Hakujou as an official diplomat. There had been many hugs, many kisses, and many promises before he left, running to catch up with the departing jinchuuraki. _

_Five months after his departure, Tadashi took the required tests, got the required permission, and switched over to Konoha. He now had an apartment with his two lovers, and a calmness had befallen him because of it. It was a nice balance; Kosuke with his fiery temper and over protective soul, Keiji with his hidden wisdom and over joyous attitude, and himself with his distant affection. It was… simply meant to be. There couldn't just be two of them, or else it would be incomplete. There being three of them made life so much easier. If two of them had a mission together, that was all the less lonely it was. If two of them were home while the other went on a mission, that was all the less lonely they were. It simply… was._

_Kouga continued to live in Konoha as Shitai continued to live in Suna. Kouga didn't want to leave his family and Shitai knew he couldn't simply up and leave Suna for obvious reasons… When Aya had been irritated enough with their constant fighting over the matter to ask them 'why the hell don't you two just break up then?', Kouga had became a pale color as Shitai went deathly silent. Five minutes after, Hitori -by some strange sense no one could understand- promptly arrived to save the life of his lover as she was gripped threateningly in white sand, her baby brother encouraging it._

_It was noted that day to never ever suggest that the two do anything that involved being apart._

_Makato and Koi got married the year before on Koi's birthday; surprisingly enough to everyone who knew Makato more than Koi, she came down the isle in white. Makato had been offended that they thought that he would deflower his angel before marrying her! Everyone else had just been very confused that he hadn't done so. Koi had been furiously blushing._

_Gaara gave her away, and her nephews stood with her. It had been… a confusing matter, to be assured, when deciding who would stand across from Tadashi. It had finally been decided that the most sensible thing to do would be to add another… 'bride's maid'… Hence, why Minamaru stood across from Keiji as Kosuke stood across from Tadashi, Hakujou stood across from Lei (Makato still didn't know him that well, but he honestly just wanted Koi to be happy and only cared about having one man stand with him, so he allowed it) and Kouga (who was best man, of course), stood across from Shitai. _

_Kanaye, officially kazekage, had conducted the ceremony. _

Now, with the triplets themselves in their thirties, Lee couldn't help but chuckle at the antics of the over zealous man before him, wearing a respectable green robe with the white neck cover for the occasion. He leaned back in his chair, gray and white strands throughout his waist length hair. There were creases at the corners of each eye from squinting in the sun as well as his constant smiles and laughter.

By his side, his husband gave a subtle sigh, even as he never took his eyes from the man standing fearlessly in the center of the room, attempting to tell them to ally with the hidden village in the rock as if it would be the greatest decision in their lives.

_Kouga was now a diplomat, living in Suna around his constant comings and goings. Koi lived with Makato in Konoha, them having adopted three children as of yet as well as had one of their own. Tadashi had successfully produced twins without many complications. Strangely enough, with no capable way of explaining how it could have possibly happened, one of the twins was Keiji's… and the other Kosuke's. Very unbelievable indeed. Lei had had one successful birth and two miscarriages, nearly breaking his heart on both occasions. The success of the one child, however, continued to make him nearly glow with joy. Hakujou was simply content with having Lei still alive by his side, though he welcomed the child into his heart warmly. Hibibu, his demon, was a strange appearing one; serpentine body with a wild mane and overly large eyes that outshined the moon, a skull for a face and two spindly arms coming from it's frame. However, Hibibu was a demon of… pack proportions. Meaning that the child and mate was accepted easily by Hibibu… Especially by Hibibu._

_They had married beforehand, of course. Kanaye had learned for the first time why his father's eyes had flared with pride on both occasions of leading the 'brides' down the aisle. _

"And why is it that you so suddenly need our alliance?"

Lee felt pride flare in his chest. The man fumbled with his words, suddenly becoming a stuttering wreck. Apparently, that was the question that was_ not _supposed to be asked.

At the head of the conference room, one red eyebrow rose from above blue-green eyes.

"I am waiting for a reply."

He didn't take his eyes off of the man, but he could _feel _his husband flicker with pride.

_Lives had passed and gone in those years. Alas, that was the life of the shinobi. Tears were held back, but they were eventually released. Life continued on. In one particularly violent mission, Kouga was left screaming in the arms of Shitai, sobs racking his body as he quivered and shook, betrayal, hatred, and denial heavy in his eyes. Aya had been blank faced and disbelieving for days, silent and incapable of meeting anyone's eyes. It had taken a week before she had broken down, alone in the bed her parents had slept together in before they had gone off to their A rank mission. Hours later, still sobbing and crying, Kouga and Oki came to her, all of them sharing sorrow on the still made mattress. Minutes after that, Shitai and Hitori came, holding their lovers together in the cage of their arms. It had taken months before Kouga had been able to even try to smile, but Aya had only taken weeks. She met the gazes of those around and simply said that 'they died together, so they should be alright without me till I drop dead too.' It didn't stop her from depending on Hitori for a while to keep her alive. _

_Chouji and Shikamaru were not so lucky. However, Shikamaru, being the genius he was, was certain that Chouji would be waiting for him in whatever life awaited them all after life was done. Which was why, his face creased with age and a small goatee going on, he smiled on the top of the building he and Chouji had first officially met on. Unlike Shikamaru, however, Jun was not that content. Luckily, Jun was never left alone, and he came over the wave of pain. After all, he was strong… He had family and friends, so of course he was strong…_

_Lady Tsunade was long deceased, and Shizune had been content to follow her as always. The ceremony had been grand, but it didn't put anyone's heart to rest. Luckily, it made their hearts light enough to carry. _

_Sasuke never agreed to have another child, no matter how many times Naruto tried to tempt him. _

After a few more weak attempts to get Suna to ally with Rock, the meeting was adjourned, and the diplomat denied. Lee was overjoyed to get outside and stretch his legs again, despite the ache that came with doing so. His entire body was sore on such days as these… The ones where a storm was just around the corner. Thinking of desert rain brought a blissful smile to his face, his eyes alighting with a distant flame.

"There's a storm coming…"

Lee smile grew as he wiggled his eyebrows at his husband.

"Does it bring back youthful memories?"

The teasing affect was ruined as he had to turn his face away and cough violently into the sleeve of his respectable robes, dying the sleeve red.

As his Gai-Sensei had before him, he was now dying in his early 70's, even earlier than his sensei, actually. After all, his means of attack depended entirely upon taijutsu, and he had used it much more often.

He felt Gaara go still by his side.

"Lee…"

He felt his lover's hand on his shoulder, turning him towards the redhead. He smiled sheepishly, as if there was not blood over his sparkling white teeth or on his chin.

"I am sorry, Gaara-love… That kind of ruined the moment, no?"

Gaara wiped away the blood using his own sleeve.

"Yes…"

He looked down at Lee, and Lee looked up at him. There was now four inches separating them, despite Lee remaining straight and tall. It just seemed that he had stopped growing sometime around thirty. Gaara's thumb caressed the corner of his mouth, swooping down to taste his lover's blood.

As if he were not an experience lover with his redhead devil, Lee blushed. Standing in front of the main building, surrounded by people that knew they had done far more intimate, he _still_ blushed as if everything were new to him.

"… It ends tonight…"

Lee blinked, sadness flooding him, before he took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.

"Gaara-love! It does not have to end tonight! Think of what we will miss!… Think of how hurt everyone will be hurt…"

He coughed again, his hands flying to his mouth to catch the blood. He had been having this for a little over two months now. Luckily, he had been subtle enough with it that only Gaara knew.

The pain in his stomach grew to almost unbearable, making him lean against his husband's side as they disappeared in a fly of sand. He could just barely remember the last time eating hadn't been one of the greatest pains to his day.

They appeared in their room, no longer the main quarters, which they were content with.

Without another word, Gaara walked to the closet and pulled out his red battle gear along with the gourd strap. He grabbed Lee's spandex suit and vest while he was at it, setting his load on the bed. He turned a steady gaze onto Lee.

"Your pain ends tonight, Lee."

Lee looked from his attire, to his husband, his obsidian eyes distant in thought.

…

Gaara came forward, wrapping one arm around his waist as he grabbed his braid with the other hand, pulling his face towards him so he could push their lips together. Lee sighed into his mouth, a tear falling from one eye.

He was ready to die… He just wasn't ready to die on his family…

"Our pain ends tonight…"

Lee blinked, a concern filling him.

"You are in pain, Gaara-love?"

Gaara met his eyes shamelessly.

"Aren't I suppose to share your pain? If not, than that is another oddity to our marriage."

Lee laid a hand flat to his redhead's cheek, meeting blue-green eyes softly.

"… Would it be a good idea to leave a note…?"

Gaara gave it a thought, and then nodded.

"There will be no other way for them to know what happened otherwise."

Lee nodded as he turned to cupboard and pulled out a piece of paper and a quill. Behind him was the shift and rustle of clothes being removed and replaced.

He left the note short, no matter how he wanted it go on forever. He left it short… but he put all of his soul into it.

He changed into his spandex, looked to Gaara once, and ran out into the night, racing over the surrounding walls and into the enveloping darkness of the endless desert. A gale of sand followed quickly behind him.

It took two hours before they got to the sand dunes they knew well, the same they always ran to when they wished to merely be.

There, Gaara stripped them of their clothes, and they made love as if they rain had already begun to fall.

It was slow and too much to handle. Lee gasped and trembled, moaning and whimpering and crying out. Gaara merely watched, his eyes burning each image forever into his mind. As they reached their orgasm, that was when his mind reached out.

Sand swished and hissed, skidding and rubbing over their sweating flesh as it wound upwards. It enveloped them in a small dome, almost pulsing inward as if it knew what it's duty was. Gaara's finger touched the gourd around Lee's throat, then drifted down to the scar his lover had asked for him to grave there. Lee smiled at the action, his own fingers touching gently to the obsidian stone that hung from his redheaded devil's neck.

"I love you, Gaara… for this life and every life after this…"

There was a sheen of tears over his ebony eyes, but the smile remained pure and true. Gaara met those eyes with a blue-green gaze that knew neither regret nor sadness.

"They are strong… Every one of them…"

He held his lover closer to him, refusing to let his length free of Lee's body. He wanted to end like this… forever bonded.

"Nonetheless, I am not strong enough to watch you waste away."

He locked their lips, the sand pushing against their bodies with a seemingly overpowering impatience. Lee gave a watery chuckle.

"Good night, _no Gaara_…"

"… Sleep peacefully, _no Lee_…"

* * *

_We may be gone for now, but we shall meet again! Until then, I beg of all of you to have a thousand days filled with love and youth! _

_With love, laughter, and youth_

_~Lee_

_With a grumpy face_

_~Gaara_

Blue-green eyes studied the framed words with blank consideration, one red eyebrow raised in thought.

"Kazekage-sama… You have been staring at that letter for some time now. Why is that?"

He didn't take his gaze from the frame.

"… These are the great words of my ancestor… Words my father told me were words to live by, who was told by his father, who was told by his mother, and so one so forth… Yet it's a suicide note…"

There was a shift and then his cousin was looking over his shoulder, his blood red eyes considering the letter as well.

"… I hear he was in a lot of pain."

Blue-green eyes went back to the frame.

"… Well, that's ridiculous…"

One of his cousin's blonde eyebrows rose.

"Are you suggesting taking it down?"

"Not if my life depended on it."

His cousin laughed.

"You know… Have you ever looked back on time and ever wondered what their life must have been like?"

Blue-green eyes finally rolled to meet blood red orbs.

"Considering that I'm named after 'grumpy face', yes, I give it occasional thought."

His cousin smiled.

"You have to admit, you look a lot like him."

Which was true. He had seen the portrait in the main hall… He had also seen the obsidian eyed man in that painting.

"What is your point?"

"Meh, I just wonder how much love they knew, you know? Were they in such love that they died together because they couldn't bear to be apart, or did they hate each other so much that Lee made this letter before going off into the desert to fight a war to the death with his lover and their bodies were never found? Seriously, you have to think about it."

"No, I don't."

"Liar."

Gaara sighed.

"I don't have to think about it…"

He shut his eyes -for just barely a moment- and heard the sound of laughter in his years.

"I assure you of that."

"Oh? And what makes you say that 'Mr. Grumpy face'?"

"We share more than a name and a face…"

_We share a past…_

He turned away from words his lover had written so long ago… In another time, in another place, seeing as how Suna had somehow shifted some hundred miles from where it had stood so long ago.

_And now, I'm just waiting for him so we can start anew…_

* * *

_I love you all… But I just had this need to end the story at chapter 90. I don't know… I just wanted to end it before it became impossible to do so… After all, coming of July or August, I would have been writing this thing for an entire year. I know you'll all cope. After all, the thing's 90 chapters._

_I have this thing for reincarnation, it would seem… As well as doing that thing where I fast forward. Regardless, I like this style. _

_Now you get to haunt ridiculously spaced out and dotted name heart for a sequel!!! X3_


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